Almost everyone knows the famous rock relief in Lucerne – designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and carved in 1820–21 by stonemason Lukas Ahorn. But few are familiar with the lion monument at the entrance of the Kirchhoferhaus in St. Gallen.
The house was built in 1876 as a city villa for the Kirchhofer family. Back then, the property included a coach house in the inner courtyard. This area was originally accessible via a passage – exactly where the lion sculpture stands today.
The monument is a striking testament to Paul Kirchhofer’s cultural engagement. In 1883, he commissioned the renowned animal sculptor Urs Eggenschwyler to create the piece and later donated it to the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen.
Eggenschwyler was deeply fascinated by big cats – so much so that he kept some himself. The artist, who also contributed to the creation of the Lucerne lion monument, was rumoured to walk his predators through Zurich’s Niederdorf neighbourhood
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