The fictional comic character of Baron Munchausen was inspired by the real 18th century Hieronymus Karl Friedrich, Freiherr von Münchhausen, (1720-1797), a man who became legendary for his wonderful tales about his exploits in the Prussian military. The real Baron is believed to have visited Königsberg on a couple of occasions en-route to postings in Riga and was reportedly less than pleased at the publication of the stories of the fictional Munchausen, the first of which came in 1785. The series about the fictional Baron were hugely popular and Baron Munchausen is renowned for his absurd adventures one of the more famous of which is commemorated in this monument. Commissioned from metalwork artist, Georg Petau, by the German municipality of Bodenwerder (birthplace of the real Munchausen) and unveiled on 18th June 2005 to mark the 750-year anniversary of Königsberg/Kaliningrad, the statue shows the Baron engaged in one of his best-known feats, riding a cannonball.