Welden Monument

The greening of the Schlossberg is largely marked by the plans of the Imperial and Royal General of the Artillery and garden designer Ludwig Freiherr von Welden (1782 – 1853). During his time as divisional commander of Graz in 1839, he began to transform the barren rock into a romantic landscape garden based on the English model. His soldiers cleared away the rubble of the destroyed fortress and created a cultivated landscape lined with footpaths, plateaus and avenues. The bronze statue created by Hans Gasser commemorates the civilian merit of the military officer. In 1859, the monument was placed on the once busy plateau with its kiosk, water tower, music pavilion and the chalet, which burnt down in 1945.