Special sculptures on the campus of the University of Graz
Attica figures
on the roof of the main building, Universitätsplatz 3
On the roof of the main building, eight stone statues watch over university life: From left to right, Aristotle, Augustine, Hugo Grotius, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Leonardo da Vinci and Hippocrates have been defying the wind and weather since 1895. The parapet figures were created by Hans Brandstetter, Rudolf Vital and Emanuel Pendl. They represent a progressive scientific spirit, revolutionary research and global thinking. The niche figures at the main portal represent the two founding fathers of the university, Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Emperor Francis I.
Ariadne
Main building/1st floor
The monumental, reclining female figure on the southern landing on the second floor is known as the "Sleeping Ariadne". The daughter of the Cretan king Minos, who was taken away by Theseus and left sleeping on the beach of Naxos, later became the wife of the god Dionysus.
Hera
Main building/1st floor
The colossal head on the opposite landing is an idealized portrait of Antonia Minor, a prominent lady in Rome who was praised for her beauty and virtue. She was the daughter of Marcus Antonius and niece of Emperor Augustus. The marble original is in the National Museum in Rome.
Emperor Franz Joseph I.
Aula, main building/1st floor
A larger-than-life marble statue at the southern end of the room depicts Emperor Franz Joseph I in toga with sceptre (signed Hans Brandstetter, 1895) as the ideal image of a Roman emperor. To the right, an inscription plaque refers to the laying of the final stone on June 4, 1895.