How does Monument to the Lion of Judah elucidate its History?
The monument is located in the square of the Addis Ababa railway station in Addis Ababa and marks the end of Winston Churchill Avenue, one of the main arteries of the city.
The sculpture of the Lion of Judah, in gilded bronze, is placed on a black granite pedestal decorated with relief portraits of emperors Menelik II and Haile Selassie, Empress Zewditu, and Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael.
The work was made by the French sculptor Georges Gardet in 1930, on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie on 2 November 1930. After the 1974 revolution, the Derg regime thought of removing the monument, a symbol of the monarchy. However, an association of Arbegnoch veterans claimed that it was a memory of Ethiopian antifascist resistance and a symbol of Ethiopia. Therefore, the regime agreed to leave the monument, which is still in front of the Addis Ababa central station.
In 1954, a new monument was commissioned by Emperor Haile Selassie from sculptor Maurice Calka, around the National Bank of Ethiopia and the National Theater.
Lion of Judah Winston Churchill Addis Ababa central station Menelik II Derg Addis Ababa Maurice Calka Makonnen Wolde Mikael Addis Ababa railway station Ethiopia Haile Selassie Zewditu Ras Arbegnoch Georges Gardet