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At fifteen metres, it is an imposing work of art, the monument to Duke Charles Bernard of Saxe Weimar Eisenach on Lange Voorhout near the former American Embassy. The most important part of the monument is formed by an obelisk. It is not surprising that architect Hugo Vogel chose the obelisk. As an architecture lecturer at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, he had a clear preference for classicism, a style inspired by the art and architecture of classical antiquity. And this form appears in it regularly.
On top of the sandstone obelisk, there are a number of bronze attributes. The flags, weapons, a wreath and a helmet refer to the duke, who was highly regarded as a warlord. His bronze portrait medallion is placed on a lesser height, with laurel wreaths to the left and right, as a symbol of victory. Attributes and medallion are by painter/sculptor Johan Koelman, who also did the Independence Monument on Square 1813. Koelman was also the director of the Academy of Fine Arts in the Hague for many years.
Duke Saxe Weimar was honoured with a monument in 1866 for his services to our country. As a colonel, he achieved good results at the battles of Quatre-Bras and Waterloo (1815) and was promoted to major general. During the Belgian Revolt he defeated the Belgians at Louvain and contributed to keeping Maastricht in Dutch hands. After the secession of Belgium he reorganised the Dutch army. At the end of 1848, he travelled to the Dutch East Indies. There he showed himself to be a lover of art and science. Appropriate texts adorn his memorial: 'Protector of art and science' and 'Courageous and policy-minded man of war, unswervingly loyal to the Netherlands'.