Alfred Escher-Statue

The Alfred Escher-Statue is a bronze memorial with a fountain in Zurich, created by Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling. It honours Zurich politician and entrepreneur Alfred Escher through a standing bronze figure.

Escher’s work connected banking, insurance, education, and the Gotthard railway during Switzerland’s nineteenth-century modernisation. The monument stands near Zurich’s main railway station. Its setting links the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the station, and Paradeplatz through Escher’s civic legacy. The fountain gives the memorial a visible feature within the cityscape. Kissling’s realistic sculpture shows Escher standing and looking across the city, while the surrounding location reflects Zurich’s public life. The Gotthard railway forms a central part of Escher’s story. He helped found the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and supported institutions tied to Swiss infrastructure and economic development.

The statue connects public art with the history of Zurich’s transport, education, and financial institutions. Its wheelchair-accessible setting places this historical monument within everyday city life.