Facts:
| Bronze plaques | 2 panels (each 4.75 x 1.90 meters, approx. 1.3 tons) |
| Gilding | 191 + 127 = 318 letters |
| Man hours | 320 |
| Workforce | 6 |
The job:
As a subcontractor for the Kunstgießerei Lauchhammer KG.
The gilding of the lettering on two large-format bronze cast panels using gold leaf.
The approach:
The bronze plaques were freed from the patination coatings, cleaned and set with an opaque synthetic resin paint in the shade of yellow. The leaf gilding was executed with Rosenoble double gold 23.75 carat.
Time frame:
The inscription panels were modeled and cast in bronze by the art foundry team in Lauchhammer in 2021 / 2022. This was followed by transport by the main contractor to our workshop for gilding and then the final transport to the Humboldt Forum. The assembly on site was implemented by another subcontractor of the Kunstgießerei.
Execution July 2022
Final State:
On the west side of the Berlin Palace, the four bronze plaques were successfully installed by the company Hofschmiede Dahlem.
History of construction and use:
The former Berlin Palace was built from 1443 for the Brandenburg electors of the House of Hohenzollern in several construction phases. The larger and representative part of the building was built around 1700 in baroque style with the help of Johann Fridrich Eosander and Andreas Schlüter for the young Prussian royal family (Frederick I). Still in the 19.Jhd. further additions and conversions took place. After the abdication of the emperor in 1918, the castle was used as a seat for various authorities and public institutions. During the Second World War the building was severely damaged. After initial reconstruction work, it was decided for political reasons to demolish the building and this was done in 1950. A large-scale, central, empty square was created for a wide variety of uses.
From 1973 - 1976 the Palace of the Republic was built according to the design of Heinz Graffunder on about 1/3 of the large, free area. In 1990, the Palace of the Republic was closed for political reasons under the pretext of carcinogenic asbestos fibers. After the decision of the German Parliament for the demolition (2003), the building was demolished in 2003 - 2006. The demolition was generally very controversial for a variety of reasons. After an architectural competition, the Berlin Palace was rebuilt as the Humboldt Forum - as a kind of universal museum - under the guidance of Franco Stella in 2013 - 2020, with historicizing facades.
The assembly on site:
Here is a further link to the assembly of the bronze plaques at the Eosander portal, which is located on the west side of the Berlin palace (Humboldt Forum).
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