Statues are powerful symbols, and the one dedicated to Jonas Alströmer stands tall in Göteborg at Lilla Torget. Sculptor John Börjeson created the work, which was cast in bronze by Otto Meyer at Meyers konstgjuteri in Stockholm. The statue stands 4 meters tall, positioned on a red granite pedestal that is 6 meters high.
Jonas Alströmer is depicted wearing a costume consisting of knickerbockers, a justaucorps, and a waistcoat. On his head, he wears an allongeperuk and a tricorne hat, and he is shown leaning against a staff. The pedestal is shaped like a column resting on a base of steps. The column is crowned with four ram heads joined by bronze garlands of barley leaves, with the name Jonas Alströmer carved into the stone.
The project began when a statue committee was formed under the leadership of Governor Gustaf Lagerbring. While Börjeson was tasked with the sculpture, Torben Grut created the pedestal. The unveiling took place on December 28, 1905, with an invocation speech delivered by Rudolf Kjellén, a professor at Uppsala University, who identified Alströmer as the father of the industry.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.