Friedensengel

Friedensengel is an intricate monument with a gilded angel lifted high on a tall stone column standing tall at the eastern end of Prinzregentenstraße. It was built in 1899 to mark twenty five years of peace after the Franco-Prussian War. The whole monument rises close to 38m high with the soaring angel holding an olive branch at the top. The natural shot is low and looking up, letting the column lead the eye up to the statue. The gold gilding seems to glow in warm low light, which makes the hour before sunset the ideal time to be here. Below the statue the open terrace doubles as a viewpoint, looking west along the avenue over grand old buildings. Just beside the memorial twin staircases lead you into the park where a fountain sits perfectly under the column to carry the eye upward. Come back after dark in summer when the memorial is lit up, giving you the gold angel against a deep blue sky. Since this whole area is a public park it is free to access and open around the clock. It does get busier on warm weekends, so an early weekday morning is your best bet for quiet, peaceful shooting experience. (Munich, Germany)