Restoration work on the patron saint of the city of Freiburg

Buttress 9/10 is the oldest buttress in the cathedral choir. It was erected together with the figure of St George in 1757 and was last restored in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the baroque piece has again suffered a great deal of damage. The figure itself, the horse and the dragon are made up of individual parts. The sections near the joints are particularly susceptible to weathering: Cracks in the knight's limbs or the horse's legs jeopardise the stone. The wall surfaces of the pillar are also affected, e.g. by open joints, erosion of the stone or moisture damage. In recent years, the sculpture has already had to be secured with wire. Now it is time to restore our patron saint to his full splendour!

In order to preserve the authentic appearance of St George, the restoration must be carried out very carefully. First of all, the damage to the figure and the surrounding wall surfaces must be precisely recorded and categorised according to the type and degree of damage. Specialist restorers then examine and clean the sculpture and carry out a colour diagnostic. This is because the rider, his horse and the dragon were probably once adorned with splendid colours.

This preparatory work is essential to understand the causes of the current damage and to carry out an appropriate restoration. For example, are cracks at the joints of the limbs due to frost or pressure from corroded dowels? How can these cracks be sealed and how can they be prevented in the future? Based on these results, the restoration will be carried out by external restorers in collaboration with the team of the Münsterbauhütte and the State Monument Preservation Department.