Heroes from *The Song of the Nibelungs*. Probably Germany, late 19th century

Heroes from *The Song of the Nibelungs*. Probably Germany, late 19th century.
Cast iron.
One of the figures is missing the blade of its sword. No foundry mark. In good overall condition.
Provenance: Austrian collection.
Measurements: 153 x 60 x 40 cm and 154 x 50 x 40 cm.

A pair of monumental cast-iron sculptures inspired by the Song of the Nibelungs, one of the great medieval Germanic epics and a fundamental source of German historical and legendary imagery. The figures likely depict Dietrich von Bern and Hagen von Tronje, portrayed as powerful medieval warriors through their armor, cloaks, weapons, and elaborate heraldic helmets.

This identification finds an interesting precedent in the illustrations by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794–1872) for the Nibelung legend, where Dietrich and Hagen are distinguished by animal motifs on their helmets. Of particular interest is the engraving *Hagen Is Defeated by Dietrich von Bern*, published in 1843, which helped establish this iconography during the 19th century.

The series is fully in keeping with 19th-century German Romanticism and Historicism, a period when medieval legends were revived as an essential part of the construction of a German cultural identity.