Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. was erected in honor of the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson.

In the first third of the 20th century Washington outgrew its existence almost seeming provincial administrative capital and was, as designed by Pierre L'Enfant already in 1792, the imperial metropolis. The United States was about to become the leading world power and equipped their capital with appropriate monuments from. At the beginning of the 1930s, there was already the 1915-1922 Lincoln Memorial erected to the memory of Abraham Lincoln and the 1848 started, but not until 1884, completed Washington Monument in honor of George Washington. At the suggestion of Franklin D. Roosevelt ( president of the United States 1933-1945), began talks to build a monument for Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's Enlightenment ideals of freedom, equality and progress were Roosevelt's drive in its efforts to lead America out of the social and economic turmoil of the Great Depression out to new self-confidence and a more social society. Consequently, the author of the American Declaration of Independence and its ideals of freedom should be a monument.

Based on the initiative of the Congress approved the advance in 1934. The architect John Russell Pope (1874-1937), already designers of the West Wing of the National Gallery of Art was awarded the contract to design the monument. Foundation stone was laid in 1939 and it was officially opened in 1943. The style was criticized by supporters of modern art as too conservative. On the other hand, gained on the Roman Pantheon and even planned by Jefferson Rotunda of the University of Virginia reminiscent building great popularity. 2007, eg reaching fourth place on the List of America 's Favorite Architecture, which is published by the American Institute of Architects.

Inside is a about 6.5 meters high and about 4.5 ton bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson, which was added about 4 years after the opening. On the walls are engraved with excerpts from various speeches and writings of Jefferson. The entire building, on the banks of the Potomac, is surrounded by Japanese cherry trees, a gift from the Japanese to the United States in 1912.

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