Braunschweig’s identity is intricately tied up with Heinrich der Löwe, a duke who was responsible for colonising the eastern regions of Germany beyond the Elbe and Saale. The Brunswick lion statue is based on the original lion Heinrich ordered to be made in 1166 as a symbol of his power and jurisdiction, and today it’s the symbol of the city; you can see the original at Burg Dankwarderode.
