Lion Monument

The sculpture’s sandstone makes conservation difficult.

1. 1818Guard officer Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen began raising funds to honour his comrades, mainly from European royal houses. Vincenz Rüttiman asked Bertel Thorvaldsen to accept the commission, and he agreed.
2. 1820–21Thorvaldsen designed the relief. Urs Pankraz Eggenschwiler began carving it, and Lukas Ahorn completed it in 1821.
3. 1872A forepaw broke off and was repaired by the Odermatt sculptors of Stans.
4. 1899–1901Workers dug an isolation tunnel about 30 metres long into the rock behind the monument to reduce decay.
5. 1940sThe monument became a rallying point for far-right movements.