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46-610: The Frederick Lauer Monument is a monumental statue in Reading, Pennsylvania , United States. The statue was dedicated in 1885 in honor of Frederick Lauer , who was a prominent citizen and brewer from the town who served as the first president of the United States Brewers' Association . The association paid for the creation of the monument, which was designed by sculptor George F. Stephens and located in City Park. Frederick Lauer

92-512: A brewer". In 1994, the monument was surveyed as part of the Save Outdoor Sculpture! project. In the years since its unveiling, the monument was suffered from deterioration and vandalism. In April 2015, four bronze plaques that were attached to the monument were stolen and never recovered. Around this same time, several brewing groups and local breweries began to spearhead efforts to restore the monument. These efforts were primarily led by

138-472: A halt to religious monumental sculpture in the regions concerned, and greatly reduced production of any monumental sculpture for several centuries. Byzantine art , which had largely avoided the societal collapse in the Western Roman Empire , never resumed the use of monumental figurative sculpture, whether in religious or secular contexts, and was to ban even two-dimensional religious art for a period in

184-462: A means of expression, where forms previously exclusive to European elites are used by new social groups or for generating anti-monumental artifacts that directly challenge the state and the ruling classes. In conflicts, therefore, it is not so much the monument which is relevant but rather what happens to the communities that participate in its construction or destruction and their instigation of forms of social interaction. The word "monument" comes from

230-569: A monument needs to be open to the public, which means that its spatial dimension, as well as its content can be experienced by the public, and be sustainable. The former may be achieved either by situating the monument in public space or by a public discussion about the monument and its meaning, the latter by the materiality of the monument or if its content immediately becomes part of the collective or cultural memory. The social meanings of monuments are rarely fixed and certain and are frequently 'contested' by different social groups. As an example: whilst

276-538: A rather larger overall scale is implied. Monumental sculpture is therefore distinguished from small portable figurines , small metal or ivory reliefs , diptychs and the like. The term is also used to describe sculpture that is architectural in function, especially if used to create or form part of a monument of some sort, and therefore capitals and reliefs attached to buildings will be included, even if small in size. Typical functions of monuments are as grave markers, tomb monuments or memorials , and expressions of

322-699: A very early stage. When a culture ceases to produce monumental sculpture, there may be a number of reasons. The most common is societal collapse , as in Europe during the so-called Dark Ages or the Classic Maya collapse in Mesoamerica . Another may be aniconism , usually religiously motivated, as followed the Muslim conquests . Both the rise of Christianity (initially) and later the Protestant Reformation brought

368-402: Is intended to convey the idea that a particular work of art, or part of such a work, is grand, noble, elevated in idea, simple in conception and execution, without any excess of virtuousity, and having something of the enduring, stable, and timeless nature of great architecture. ... It is not a synonym for 'large'. However, this does not constitute an accurate or adequate description of the use of

414-562: Is known as the Beer Institute . In 1883, he retired from brewing, and he died on September 12 of that year. Following his death, the Brewers' Association wanted to honor Lauer with a monument in his hometown. After receiving consent from the city council to erect a monument in Reading's City Park, the group proceeded to completely fund the creation of a public statue of Lauer. This monument would be

460-730: Is normally the criterion, though smaller architectural sculptures are usually covered by the term, but in the Early Modern period a specific funerary function may be meant, before the typical meaning once again comes to refer to size alone for contemporary sculpture. The relevant chapters in Parts 2-4 of The Oxford History of Western Art are titled as follows: "Monumental Sculpture to c.1300", "Monumental Sculpture 1300–1600", "Free-standing Sculpture c.1600–c.1700", "Forms in Space c.1700–1770", "Sculptures and Publics" (1770–1914). In archeology and art history

506-409: Is often used in art history and criticism , but not always consistently. It combines two concepts, one of function, and one of size, and may include an element of a third more subjective concept. It is often used for all sculptures that are large. Human figures that are perhaps half life-size or above would usually be considered monumental in this sense by art historians, although in contemporary art

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552-465: Is often used to describe any structure that is a significant and legally protected historic work, and many countries have equivalents of what is called in United Kingdom legislation a Scheduled Monument , which often include relatively recent buildings constructed for residential or industrial purposes, with no thought at the time that they would come to be regarded as "monuments". Until recently, it

598-482: Is only in wealthy societies that the possibility of creating sculptures that are large but merely decorative really exists (at least in long-lived materials such as stone), so for most of art history the different senses of the term cause no difficulties. The term may be used differently for different periods, with breaks occurring around the Renaissance and the early 20th century: for ancient and medieval sculpture size

644-424: Is to be sustainably damaged or even destroyed. In addition to the national protection of cultural monuments, international organizations (cf. UNESCO World Heritage , Blue Shield International ) therefore try to protect cultural monuments. Recently, more and more monuments are being preserved digitally (in 3D models) through organisations as CyArk . Monumental sculpture The term monumental sculpture

690-512: The Byzantine iconoclasm . "Monumental sculpture" is still used within the stoneworking and funeral trades to cover all forms of grave headstones and other funerary art, regardless of size. In contemporary art, however, the term is used to refer to all large sculptures regardless of purpose, and also carries a sense of permanent, solid, objects, rather than the temporary or fragile assemblages used in much contemporary sculpture. Sculptures covered by

736-524: The Indus Valley civilization , appear to have had no monumental sculpture at all, though producing very sophisticated figurines and seals. The Mississippian culture seems to have progressing towards its use, with small stone figures, when it collapsed. Other cultures, such as Ancient Egypt and the Easter Island culture , seem to have devoted enormous resources to very large-scale monumental sculpture from

782-627: The Brewers of Pennsylvania trade group, while the Brewers Association (not to be confused with the United States Brewers' Association) donated $ 25,000 towards the restoration. In 2018, the monument was rededicated following its restoration. The monument is maintained by the Historical Society of Berks County. The monument consists of a bronze statue of Lauer standing atop a multitiered granite pedestal and concrete base. The base of

828-447: The Latin " monumentum ", derived from the word moneo , monere , which means 'to remind' or 'to warn', suggesting a monument allows us to see the past thus helping us visualize what is to come in the future. In English the word "monumental" is often used in reference to something of extraordinary size and power, as in monumental sculpture , but also to mean simply anything made to commemorate

874-449: The appearance, and sometimes disappearance, of monumental sculpture (using the size criterion) in a culture, is regarded as of great significance, though tracing the emergence is often complicated by the presumed existence of sculpture in wood and other perishable materials of which no record remains; the totem pole is an example of a tradition of monumental sculpture in wood that would leave no traces for archaeology. The ability to summon

920-506: The brewing trade / he was working for / the cause of national temperance". Monumental statue Monuments result from social practices of construction or conservation of material artifacts through which the ideology of their promoters is manifested. The concept of the modern monument emerged with the development of capital and the nation-state in the fifteenth century when the ruling classes began to build and conserve what were termed monuments. These practices proliferated significantly in

966-635: The case of the Great Wall of China , or because an event of great importance occurred there such as the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France . Many countries use ' ancient monument ' or similar terms for the official designation of protected structures or archeological sites which may originally have been ordinary domestic houses or other buildings. Monuments are also often designed to convey historical or political information, and they can thus develop an active socio-political potency. They can be used to reinforce

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1012-898: The dead, as a funerary monument or other example of funerary art . A formalist interpretation of monuments suggests their origins date back to antiquity and even prehistory. Archaeologists like Gordon Childe viewed ancient monuments as symbols of power. Historians such as Lewis Mumford proposed that the practice began with Paleolithic landmarks, which served as sites for communication with ancestral spirits. However, these perspectives often project modern uses of monuments onto ancient structures. In art history, monuments are seen as significant sculptural forms; in architecture and urban planning, they are crucial for city organization and mapping. These contemporary interpretations have been retroactively applied to ancient and non-Western structures. This modern concept of monuments aligns with how past constructions are labeled as monuments today. Françóise Choay highlights

1058-477: The debate touches on the social mechanisms that combine with Remembrance. These are acceptance of the monument as an object, the conveyed contents and the impact of these contents. Monuments are frequently used to improve the appearance of a city or location. Planned cities such as Washington, D.C. , New Delhi and Brasília are often built around monuments. For example, the Washington Monument 's location

1104-410: The dedication ceremony, Henry H. Reuter, a former president of the Brewers' Association, gave an oration, during which he said, "Frederick Lauer stands there, for us, as the exemplar of true temperance, as the champion of personal liberty, as the exponent of the just claims of our time-honored trade, as its ever-ready defender and untiring promoter. Frederick Lauer felt and understood his social mission as

1150-542: The distinction between these views: "The historic monument is a precisely datable invention of the West... exported and diffused beyond Europe from the late nineteenth century." Basically, the definition framework of the term monument depends on the current historical frame conditions. Aspects of the Culture of Remembrance and cultural memory are also linked to it, as well as questions about the concepts of public sphere and durability (of

1196-484: The first public statue in both the park and the city as a whole. Despite some opposition from members of the temperance movement , the city was generally supportive of the monument based on Lauer's philanthropy and public service. According to a later article on the statue published by the Historical Society of Berks County , "Frederick Lauer was represented in the first monument erected in Reading because he embodied

1242-455: The foot of the statue are inscriptions bearing the name of the designer ("Henrici Stephens") and the foundry ("cast by / Bureau Bros."). Four bronze plaques are attached to the four sides of the pedestal. The inscription on the front reads: "To / Frederick Lauer / of Reading, PA / The United States Brewers / Association of which he was / the first President, has / erected this monument / in grateful rememberence (sic) of / his unselfish labor for /

1288-603: The former East German socialist state may have seen the Berlin Wall as a means of 'protection' from the ideological impurity of the west, dissidents and others would often argue that it was symbolic of the inherent repression and paranoia of that state. This contention of meaning is a central theme of modern 'post processual' archaeological discourse. While many ancient monuments still exist today, there are notable incidents of monuments being intentionally or accidentally destroyed and many monuments are likely to have disappeared through

1334-518: The ideals of a large part of his community". Several other monuments and memorials were later built in the park. The statue was designed by George F. Stephens and cast by the Bureau Bros, while the stonework was carried out by P. F. Eisenbrown, Sons & Company. The monument was dedicated on May 23, 1885, with a parade held through the city. Many stores closed for the day, while the parade included many city officials, police, and firefighters. During

1380-544: The level of the eye, and is so large as to dominate the entire entrance. It is a gigantic semi-circular relief ...", size is certainly the dominant part of what he means by the word, and Schapiro's further comments suggest that a lack of "excess of virtuousity" does not form part of what he intends to convey. Nonetheless, parts of the Murray's concept ("grand, noble, elevated in idea") are included in his meaning, although "simple in conception and execution" hardly seems to apply. It

1426-399: The monument is surrounded by an edged planter. Lauer wears an attire typical of the era, including a bow tie, frock coat, and vest, with his right hand on his hip and a paper scroll in his left hand. The sculpture measures 18 inches (46 cm) on either side and stands 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, while the pedestal has side measurements of 5 feet (1.5 m) and is 10 feet (3.0 m) tall. At

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1472-471: The monuments in their jurisdiction, there are institutions dedicated on the efforts to protect and preserve monuments that considered to possess special natural or cultural significance for the world, such as UNESCO 's World Heritage Site programme and World Monuments Fund . Cultural monuments are also considered to be the memory of a community and are therefore particularly at risk in the context of modern asymmetrical warfare. The enemy's cultural heritage

1518-402: The need for their conservation, given that a fundamental component of state action following the construction or declaration of monuments is litigating vandalism and iconoclasm. However, not all monuments represent the interests of nation-states and the ruling classes; their forms are also employed beyond Western borders and by social movements as part of subversive practices which use monuments as

1564-411: The nineteenth century, creating the ideological frameworks for their conservation as a universal humanist duty. The twentieth century has marked a movement toward some monuments being conceived as cultural heritage in the form of remains to be preserved, and concerning commemorative monuments, there has been a shift toward the abstract counter monument. In both cases, their conflictive nature is explicit in

1610-404: The one memorized) and the form and content of the monument (work-like monument). From an art historical point of view, the dichotomy of content and form opens up the problem of the "linguistic ability" of the monument. It becomes clear that language is an eminent part of a monument and it is often represented in "non-objective" or "architectural monuments", at least with a plaque. In this connection,

1656-615: The passage of time and natural forces such as erosion. In 772 during the Saxon Wars , Charlemagne intentionally destroyed an Irminsul monument in order to desecrate the pagan religion. In 1687 the Parthenon in Athens was partially destroyed by a Venetian mortar round, which set off the store of gunpowder kept there by the Turkish defenders. A recent archeological dig in central France uncovered

1702-528: The power of a ruler or community, to which churches and so religious statues are added by convention, although in some contexts monumental sculpture may specifically mean just funerary sculpture for church monuments . The third concept that may be involved when the term is used is not specific to sculpture, as the other two essentially are. The entry for "Monumental" in A Dictionary of Art and Artists by Peter and Linda Murray describes it as: The most overworked word in current art history and criticism. It

1748-676: The primacy of contemporary political power, such as the column of Trajan or the numerous statues of Lenin in the Soviet Union . They can be used to educate the populace about important events or figures from the past, such as in the renaming of the old General Post Office Building in New York City to the James A. Farley Building , after James Farley , former Postmaster General of the United States . To fulfill its informative and educative functions

1794-505: The remains of a Megalithic monument that had been previously destroyed "Like some monuments, including Belz in Morbihan , the menhirs of Veyre-Monton were knocked down in order to make them disappear from the landscape. Pushed into large pits, sometimes mutilated or covered with earth, these monoliths have been destroyed. 'object of iconoclastic gestures, a sort of condemnation perhaps linked to some change of community or beliefs " The term

1840-764: The resources to create monumental sculpture, by transporting usually very heavy materials and arranging for the payment of what are usually regarded as full-time sculptors, is considered a mark of a relatively advanced culture in terms of social organization. In Ancient Egypt , the Great Sphinx of Giza probably dates to the 3rd millennium BC, and may be older than the Pyramids of Egypt . The discovery in 1986 of an ancient Chinese Bronze Age 8.5 foot tall bronze statue at Sanxingdui disturbed many ideas held about early Chinese civilization, since only much smaller bronzes were previously known. Some undoubtedly advanced cultures, such as

1886-402: The term for sculpture, though many uses of the term that essentially mean either large or "used in a memorial" may involve this concept also, in ways that are hard to separate. For example, when Meyer Schapiro , after a chapter analysing the carved capitals at Moissac , says: "in the tympanum of the south portal [ (right) ] the sculpture of Moissac becomes truly monumental. It is placed above

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1932-552: The welfare of the / brewing trade in this country.", while the rear plaque reads: "The City of Reading / commemorates the public / and private virtues of an honored citizen / by the grant of this location, / erected AD MDCCCXXXV / the year of the 25th convention of the U.S. Brewers Association." The two side plaques read: "LET HIS EXAMPLE TELL / THE BREWERS OF THIS / COUNTRY TO MAINTAIN / GOOD-FELLOWSHIP TO / PRESERVE THEIR ASSOCIATION / AND / TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS" and "His zeal sprung / from his firm conviction / that in striving to advance /

1978-498: Was born in 1810 in the German town of Gleisweiler . Several years later, in 1823, his family emigrated to the United States, ultimately settling in Reading, Pennsylvania . He learned the process of beer brewing from his father and operated his own brewery in Reading as an adult, employing many German immigrants who lived in the area. During his time as a brewmaster , Lauer also became involved in politics and philanthropic ventures. He

2024-593: Was conceived by L'Enfant to help organize public space in the city, before it was designed or constructed. Older cities have monuments placed at locations that are already important or are sometimes redesigned to focus on one. As Shelley suggested in his famous poem " Ozymandias " (" Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! "), the purpose of monuments is very often to impress or awe. Structures created for other purposes that have been made notable by their age, size or historic significance may also be regarded as monuments. This can happen because of great age and size, as in

2070-475: Was customary for archaeologists to study large monuments and pay less attention to the everyday lives of the societies that created them. New ideas about what constitutes the archaeological record have revealed that certain legislative and theoretical approaches to the subject are too focused on earlier definitions of monuments. An example has been the United Kingdom 's Scheduled Ancient Monument laws. Other than municipal or national government that protecting

2116-488: Was involved in several different charity organizations, as well as the local agricultural society and board of trade , and he was instrumental in getting Reading reclassified from a borough to a city . In the national brewing industry , Lauer helped form the United States Brewers' Association , an industry trade group formed during the American Civil War . He served as the first president of this group, which today

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