The lion statue on Braunschweig’s Burgplatz is dedicated to Henry the Lion and represents his power and jurisdiction. It is a Romanesque sculpture which was most probably cast in Braunschweig – the first large detached sculpture of the Middle Ages. Visitors can see the original in Dankwarderode Castle; the statue on Burgplatz is an exact replica.
The Burgplatz square is a major historic and cultural site and the centre of the city of Braunschweig. Henry the Lion had the square extended in the 12th century, transforming it into the centre of power for the Royal House of Hanover. Its medieval roots can still be seen to this day. The castle, cathedral, neoclassical Vieweghaus and beautiful half-timbered buildings line its edges, while the Brunswick Lion stands proudly at the centre of it all.
