Bach FAQ 91
How Many Johann Sebastian Bach Monuments and Bach Memorials Are There on Earth?..
There are about 70 Bach monuments – or, if you prefer, Bach memorials – scattered all over the world, according to my personal count. And there are indeed 70 of them based on my very subjective criteria. This includes tributes made of metal and stone ... not just bronze monuments. And I’ve also included monuments that are only monuments in the broadest sense. Ideally, they should be “out in the open air” and on a pedestal. But some tributes to Johann Sebastian Bach are, after all, “indoors.” And one of the monuments has actually “disappeared”. literally “nicked”. Because a monument like that doesn’t just vanish on its own..
On my website, you can discover them all: the outdoor Bach monuments, the indoor Bach monuments. And many other forms of tribute to this exceptional artist as well. Just one click will take you there. And it seems there are more and more of these tributes popping up. All over the world. And many Bach fans are helping me locate them. There used to be 33 such tributes. That was in 2012. In 2026, we reached an interim total: There were 70. Up to number 55, they all fit on one of the pages of my website. After that, a second page was needed. You can access it by clicking here..
It certainly didn’t “sneak off” on its own. When Siegesallee (... Victory Alley) in Berlin was leveled after World War II. Speaking of “sneeak off”: Many of these very monuments were damaged in the process. And they’ve been restored in recent years. The Bach monument, however ... is and remains missing..
If you now feel that the topic of Johann Sebastian Bach monuments (... or, more correctly, Johann Sebastian Bach memorials. Which is actually “more correct”?) ... If you find this topic interesting, then you’ll be much, much better off visiting a completely different section of this website. As mentioned above, by clicking here you’ll be taken to two pages featuring more than 120 images of these monuments ... along with a whole “package” of stories and history surrounding the artworks dedicated to Bach..
First, there are the monuments in Germany. And leading the way is Leipzig, the “City of Bach,” with two outdoor Bach monuments. The one that is surely the best known worldwide stands next to St. Thomas Church ... impossible to overlook..
It’s easier to overlook the “Old Bach Monument” in Leipzig. Especially if you “finish” your visit to Bach with the museum—on the left side of the large monument—and the souvenir shop on the right. It’s easy to find: It’s right next to St. Thomas Church and the monument just described. Specifically, if you walk between the Bach Shop and the Bach Museum toward the main entrance of St. Thomas Church, keep going straight after ten steps, and don’t turn right ... you’ll practically “stumble” right over it..
In addition, Leipzig is home to the Bach Window in St. Thomas Church and, of course, the tomb in that church ... the place where Johann Sebastian Bach rests. This final resting place can certainly be considered the greatest tribute to Bach of all..
Second place goes to the Bach city of Eisenach, and third place goes to the Bach city of Ohrdruf. First, let’s look at Eisenach. The monument, which was created after the first one in Leipzig, has certainly been the most revered in the more than 270 years since Bach’s death. After all, in Leipzig, two monuments have shared the spotlight over the past two and a half centuries. It is considerably older than the one in Leipzig. More precisely, than the New Bach Monument, though not as old as the Old Bach Monument. In Eisenach, there is also another monument that visitors can explore today in St. George’s Church: a somber, black one: somehow quite different..
There are two unusual monuments to Johann Sebastian in Ohrdruf. One does not show him in the usual form of a sculpture, nor does the other. However, the former is certainly the only monument in the world where two of the greatest composers on earth “come together.” Beethoven’s remark that “Bach should be called Meer (... Sea) and not Bach (... Creek)” is immortalized here. The second monument stands in a park and honors not only the master, but also his oldest brother. Johann Sebastian Bach moved in with him after the death of their father and mother. This Bach monument honors the entire Ohrdruf Bach family..
Let's continue. We're staying in Thuringia. Arnstadt. Here, Bach is lazing around in front of city hall. It's an unconventional monument. It depicts Bach as he might have been in his younger years. A rebel, a maverick, laid-back ... but also brilliant..
Dornheim, right on Arnstadt’s doorstep. A three-minute drive from the outskirts of Arnstadt. In the wedding church in the middle of the village – it’s impossible to miss – a sculpture commemorates the marriage of Johann Sebastian Bach and his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach. By the way, it’s a charming little Bach gem … be sure to set aside a few minutes to see it if you’re in Arnstadt anyway..
Köthen. Of course, there’s also a monument to the composer in the Bach city of Köthen, It’s white, stands on Bachplatz (... Bach Place), and is located right next to the second house where Bach lived during his time with the regent in Köthen. Incidentally, the first house no longer exists..
Mühlhausen. A fascinating work of art. Bach stands next to the base of his monument. This piece is truly impressive next to the massive church building. Bach looks extremely young. The proportions look quite different than in a photo. I discovered a second monument—made of wood—later on..
In Weimar, Bach has been practically “hidden” to this day. If one compares the extent of his work to the scale of the tribute paid to him, then this is by far the tiniest monument to the greatest musician of all time. Weimar still doesn’t have a Bach House. Und no Bach Museum. Perhaps that will change one day..
Now we're heading abroad, and first up is the monument in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the U.S. There, Bach sits in front of Carnegie Music Hall in the suburb of Oakland. Impressive. It is a work of art by John Massey Rhind, which he created in 1907..
Bach also has a place in Paris, France, where he has been honored by the French people. There, he can be admired alongside other great figures at the front of the Paris Opéra..
But the most exotic location for a monument to Bach is, without a doubt, the one in Shanghai China. There, it stands in a park near the main train station. The artist’s identity has not yet been determined … but this website is still relatively new. If anyone can find out the name of the artist who created this monument, I’d appreciate it if you could contact me. And if an ambitious amateur photographer would be willing to take some perfect photos for me, please contact me before you start taking them. I’d be as happy as a little boy..
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