Pestalozzi-Denkmal
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About
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Why go
- The 2.40-metre bronze statue of Pestalozzi with a shabbily clad boy, free to see at any hour
- The granite pedestal, with its plain inscription giving Pestalozzi's name and dates, 1746–1827
- The plinth signed 'Hugo Siegwart Luzern 1899', which names the sculptor and the year of the bronze
Opening hours
Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
About the work
- year
- 1899 (made 1898–1899; unveiled 26 October 1899)
- material
- Bronze figure on a granite pedestal over a concrete foundation Experts proposed bronze, since marble would decay quickly in the coal-smoky air.
- size
- 6 m high in total; the statue is 2.40 m With its base, the monument measures 600 x 100 x 100 cm.
Shorts
History
Experts asked for a plain monument, with the statue at most one and a half times life size. Eighteen designs were entered in the 1897 competition and shown in the Helmhaus. Hugo Siegwart shared the first prize of 2000 francs, and after a further review the jury unanimously chose his design. An early plan showing Pestalozzi with a toddler was judged too feminine. Donations reached 47,951.45 francs by 1897, and the federal government, the city and the canton added further funds.
- 1746Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi is born in Zürich.
- 1895Industrialist Caspar Appenzeller starts the monument; a committee of 40 men from the canton is formed.
- 1896The committee chooses a site beside a school.
- 1897Eighteen designs are shown in the Helmhaus; Hugo Siegwart shares the first prize of 2000 francs.
- 1899The model is handed over and cast in bronze.
Show all
- 26 October 1899The monument is unveiled.
Legends and hidden details
- Contemporaries linked the scene of the boy and the educator to Pestalozzi's stay in Stans.
- The pair of figures was seen as a civilian Tell, a variant of the Tell monument in Altdorf.
Best time to visit
- Open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Sources: Pestalozzi-Denkmal - Wikipedia · Pestalozzi-Denkmal · checked 5 Nov 2026
- Phone
- +41 44 412 42 25
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to see the Pestalozzi-Denkmal?
Access to the Pestalozzi-Denkmal is free.
Can I see the Pestalozzi-Denkmal at night?
Yes. The monument is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Where is the Pestalozzi-Denkmal in Zürich?
It stands in the Pestalozzi-Anlage on Bahnhofstrasse, near Schweizergasse 4, in district 01 of the city.
How tall is the Pestalozzi-Denkmal?
The whole monument is 6 metres high. The bronze statue of Pestalozzi is 2.40 metres tall.
Who made the Pestalozzi-Denkmal?
The sculptor Hugo Siegwart of Luzern made it. He signed and dated the plinth 1899.
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