Eberhardsgruppe Monument

This is the Graf Eberhard monument, which goes back to the Württemberg anthem. The Count is the richest of the German princes, since he "can lay his head in every subject's lap"

The Eberhardsgruppe is a monument in the Upper Palace Gardens of Stuttgart. It shows Prince Eberhard I lying on the lap of a subject.
MeaningThe scene depicted is based on the poem The Richest Prince by Justinus Kerner. Known and set to music under the title Praise with lots of beautiful speeches, it is considered the unofficial state anthem of Württemberg. In the ballad in honor of the count and first Duke of Württemberg, Eberhard in the Beard, German princes enumerate the riches of their domains, until finally Eberhard states that “I can boldly lay my head in the lap of every subject,” whereupon the other princes tell him claim that he is the richest prince.The Eberhard group thus illustrates the special relationship between the Württemberg rulers and their subjects, even in the eyes of the people. On the basis of the Münsingen Treaty, the rulers were often dependent on the participation of representatives of the estates. When the country became a kingdom, King Frederick wanted to abolish these old estates. The monument also points to the conflicting efforts of the estates to reinstate the old law.Story
Equestrian statue of Eberhard I of Württemberg in the inner courtyard of the Old Castle
Moving the monument in the Upper Palace Garden, August 2012In 1859, an equestrian statue in honor of Eberhard I was unveiled in the courtyard of the New Palace in Stuttgart. The people of Stuttgart were skeptical about this portrayal of the prince because it did not fit the more popular image of a ruler close to the people. Charles I had the statue moved to the inner courtyard of the Old Palace.Between 1879 and 1881, the sculptor Paul Müller created the 350 cm high and 500 cm wide marble sculpture,[3] which was unveiled in 1881 as part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Württemberg's elevation to the status of a kingdom.On August 3, 2012, the monument was temporarily moved from the middle to the upper palace garden because the Stuttgart 21 construction site was in its original location.[Wikipedia]

The monument is very nice to look at.