Description
GERMANY 1895 Otto Von Bismarck dedicated by the city of Hamburg on the occasion of Bismarck's 80th birthday. St George slaying the dragon, 42.5mm silver medal 29.9 grams, by F. Schaper (Bennert 165) edge knocks
Obverse: Civilian bust of v. Bismarck facing three-quarters left, small City Arms behind, DER SENATDER FREIEN VND HANSESTADT HAMBVRG ZVMI APRIL 1895
Reverse: Bismarck cast as St. George, wearing pickelhaube, spearing dragon, DIE ZWIETRACHT VERNICHTET - ZVR EINHEIT GESCHLICHTET - DAS REICH ERRICHTET / F. SCHAPER (Schaper takes some artistic license with Benedetto Pistrucci's St George Slaying the Dragon cleverly interposing von Bismarck for St. George on the reverse)
Edge: Plain
Fritz (Friedrich) Schaper (31 July 1841, Alsleben – 29 November 1919, Berlin) was a German sculptor. He was orphaned at an early age, and was sent to Halle to receive instruction at the Francke Foundations. After being apprenticed as a stonemason, he went to Berlin in 1859 for further training at the Prussian Academy of Arts. Afterwards, he became an employee at the workshop of Albert Wolff until establishing his own studios in 1867. He was a Professor at the Prussian Academy from 1875 to 1890 and also served as manager of the "Aktsaal" (nude modelling studio). Max Baumbach, Adolf Brütt, Reinhold Felderhoff, Fritz Klimsch, Ludwig Manzel, Max Unger, Joseph Uphues and Wilhelm Wandschneider were among his many well-known students.
He became a full member of the Academy in 1880 and a member of the governing Senate in 1881. He was also an honorary member of the academies in Munich and Dresden. In 1914, he was one of the signatories to the Manifesto of the Ninety-Three, a document supporting Germany's invasion of Belgium.
