Page 81
Opemhaus. BERLIN. Section 1. 59
poet with the arts of painting and sculpture; on the left a dancing
group with the Three Graces.
In the grounds between the Library and the Opera House stands
a marble monument, by Schaper, to the Empress Augusta, unveiled
in 1895. The reliefs on the pedestal represent the nursing of the
wounded in war and the education of children. — In the background
is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Hedwig (Hedwigs-Kirche ;
PI. R, 22), a simplified imitation of the Pantheon at Rome, erected
by Frederick the Great in 1747-73. The dome was sheathed with
copper in 1886-87 and provided with the lantern and cross demanded
by the spirit of the original design. The representation of the
Adoration of the Magi in the pediment was executed in 1898 by
N. Geiger. — Close by, Behren-Str. 38-39, is the Dresdner Bank,
built in 1887 by Heim and enlarged in 1902.
Five *Statues by Rauch embellish the Platz am Opernhaus
farther E. Between the Opera House and the palace of the crown-
prince is Blucher (d. 1819), a bronze figure, 11 ft. high, with drawn
sword, resting one foot on a cannon, erected in 1826. To the left and
right are bronze statues of Yorck (d. 1830) and Gneisenau (d. 1831),
both erected in 1855. In front of the guard-house are marble fig¬
ures of Billow (d. 1816) and Scharnhorst (d. 1813), erected in 1822.
The pedestals are adorned with reliefs referring to the wars of
1813-15.
The Royal Guard House (Konigswache; PI. R, 23) was con¬
structed by Schinkel in the Doric style in 1816-18 in the form of a
Roman fortified gate. Adjoining it are three large cannon; the cen¬
tral one ('La belle Josephine') was brought from Fort Mont Valerien
at Paris in 1871 and has been rechristened 'Valeria'.
At the back of the guard-house is the Ministry of Finance. —
To the left of this, and farther back, is the Singing Academy
(PI. R, 23), erected in 1825 and renowned for the excellent acoustic
properties of its concert-hall. The academy was founded by Fasch
in 1791, and afterwards came under the management of Zelter
(d. 1832). Concerts, see p. 29.
Tramways (see pp. 14-22) run from the Opern-Platz and from tho
Dorotheen-Str. (lines N, 0, S, and T) to the Brandenburg Gate (N, 0, S,
T, 13), Charlottenburg (N, T, 33, 54), Donhoff-Platz (12, 13, 18, 39, 42),
Gesundbrunnen (34, 39, 42, 43), Gorlitz Station (12, 13, 18), Hackescher-
Markt (33, 39, 40, 42, 53, 54, 55, III), Halle Gate (34, 43, 39, 42, 53, 55),
Kreuzberg (34, 43), Lehrte Station and Moabit (12, 13, 18), Liitzow-Platz
(33, 54), Potsdam Station (33, 40, 54, III), Rixdorf (53, 55), Schoneberg
(40, 43, III), Stettin Station (34, 43), Zoological Garden (0, S, 83). — The
lines 60, 61, 70, 73, 75, 80, 81, running through the Franzosische Str. (S.),
may also prove serviceable.
• To the E. of the Royal Guard House (see above), and fronting
to the S., is the * Arsenal (Zeughaus; PI. R, 23, 26), one of the