THE KAISER AND VIRCHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 21, 4 June 1908, Page 4

THE KAISER AND VIRCHOW.

. : A STATUE FORBIDDEN, .^ ; v Tho "Standard's 1 !, Berlin /correspondent, irating on ;April 10, Stated - report ,apoeared in tho evening ■ newspapers, that tho : Kaiser..has . refused to .permit a statuo' to. . the late, pathologist, Professor Virchow, to : bo ■ erected in a Berlin : street., Seme time agoCkrman artists were requested to com- : peto ;with a modol for this Virchow statuo which friends and admirers proposed to erect . to his memory in a public square in closo proximity to the greiit,. Chtiriti) Hospital, where so much of his, Work was done;. 'A jury, consisting of tho best known hrtists ill all; branches ot sculpture, selected tho model sent in by Herr Fritz Klimsch; Somo\ofc jections were raised to it owing .to the fact that: so littio prominence was given to tho . scientist • himself. Tho artist had mado a group, in which HorCUlcs was represented as killing the Hydra, whilst 116 placed , Virchow's head only on a small relief. Theso objections, advanced chiofly by medical men, were removed ' by 'enlarging.' tho; portrait medallion of Vircliow find by adding a relief in Which Virchov/'s figure was mado more conspicuous. • The nl-bdol was then passed by the committee of artists and approved by the doctors , and others who subscribed towards its. cost, as well as by municipal authorities The, . Kaiser's decision with respect to tho statuo j ! has created great Bnfprisa, and haS aroused ' unbounded discontent, tt is admitted that the Kaiser has u forhiiil right to decido as to what statues "and monuments shall be placed in the public streets and squares, but the question is asked whether the opinion of one lavmaii should bo considered final 111 opposition to that of professional artists and sculptors, and the public also have not the right to have placwl m their streets a statuo which hafc Met with' universal approvnl. It is riot luiown, however, whether His Majesty objrets .to tho statuo as such, or to tlio public tribute 'of a statue to ohe who held VirchotVfe ' pol ticid opinions. Iho statue, it may bo added, is nearly rcauy tor ercction. , "