Schies, Hermann

Sculptor

born: 29.07.1836 in Wiesbaden

died: 19.02.1899 in Wiesbaden

The son of a teacher, Schies was a pupil of Emil Alexander Hopfgartenand Johann Friedrich Drake in Berlin, who in 1867 certified that he had successfully completed a nine-year apprenticeship with him. Schies then returned to Wiesbaden, where he initially worked as a modeller for a woodcarver. He soon had a very popular studio and worked for numerous private and public clients. Schies taught freehand drawing and modeling at the Wiesbaden trade school for 25 years.

His works include the statue of Christ at the Bergkirche, the four allegorical figures of Strength, Justice, Diligence and Charity on the front of the new town hall, which was destroyed in the Second World War, the Carl Koch monument in the Nero Valley and the figures of Clio and Justitia in the new town hall. He created gravestones for many prominent Wiesbaden citizens, such as Mayor Wilhelm Lanz, chemist Carl Remigius Fresenius, composers Ferdinand Möhring and Franz Abt, spa director Ferdinand Hey'l and others. Schies also designed the war memorial for the fallen of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 in the Old Cemetery, the obelisk of the Waterloo memorial on Luisenplatz and the Germania on the war memorial in the Nero Valley, which has now disappeared. Schies also created Germania figures for war memorials in several other cities such as Idstein, Sigmaringen, Saarbrücken and Eisenach.

The artist was married to Nanni, née Bouteiller. His grave of honor is located in the North Cemetery.