At A Glance
Please note: hours of operation for the Horticulture Center grounds are Monday-Sunday, 9am-5pm
Part of the Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO program
Awarded to the United German Singers of Philadelphia at the 16th National Saengerfest
Schubert was known as a writer of songs, including his famous composition “Ave Maria”
Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia’s German singing societies would participate in singing competitions. In 1891, the United German Singers of Philadelphia won the 16th Annual National Saengerfest held in Newark, New Jersey.
Schubert was known as a writer of songs. Among Schubert’s famous compositions are “Ave Maria.”
The grand prize was the bust of Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), which the singing society gave to the City of Philadelphia. The sculpture was installed in West Fairmount Park and dedicated and unveiled on December 7, 1891. In 1906, the group gifted the bust of Joseph Haydn to the City, which was installed nearby.
Schubert was known as a writer of songs. Among Schubert’s famous compositions are “Ave Maria.” The Pair of Lions installed next to the bust were given to Fairmount Park by Henry Lisle Waln in 1891.
Henry Baerer was in born in Kirchhain, Kurhessen, Germany in 1837. He came to the United States in 1854 but later returned to Germany to study at the Royal Academy in Munich. He died in the Bronx, NY in 1908.
RESOURCES:
Voices heard in the program:
David Kim is Concertmaster and solo violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a renowned teacher who presents master classes world-wide. Kim also works with youth to cultivate future audiences for classical music.
Hardy von Auenmueller is Chairman of the Board of The German Society of Pennsylvania, founded in 1764 to assist German immigrants. Today the organization furthers the understanding of German and German-American contributions to American history and culture.
Richard N. Juliani is a historian who has studied immigration and ethnic life, with a focus on the Italian American experience. He is the author of The Social Organization of Immigration: The Italians in Philadelphia.
Segment Producer: Jonathan Mitchell
A program of the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association), Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is an innovative and accessible outdoor sculpture audio program for Philadelphia’s preeminent collection of public art.
A “multi-platform” interactive audio experience – available for free by cell phone, mobile app, or on our website – Museum Without Walls: AUDIO offers the unique histories that are not typically expressed on outdoor permanent signage.
Unlike audio tours that have a single authoritative guide or narrator, each speaker featured in Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is an “authentic voice” – someone who is connected to the sculpture by knowledge, experience, or affiliation.
Over 150 unique voices are featured, including artists, educators, scientists, writers, curators, civic leaders, and historians.
This artwork is part of the Around the Horticulture Center tour
