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Haserot Monument

Haserot Monument, also known as the Haserot Angel or the Weeping Angel, is a life-size bronze sculpture by Herman Matzen at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. It stands on a polished granite base and shows a seated angel with spread wings and its arms resting on an inverted torch, a symbol of life recently extinguished. The surname Haserot is inscribed on the base, linking the work to the tomb owner. The statue is especially famous for the dark marks on its face, caused by weathering and erosion of the bronze, which create the impression that it is weeping. Its greenish patina and haunting appearance have made it one of the cemetery’s most photographed monuments and the subject of legends and paranormal interest.

Haserot Angel bronze sculpture with outstretched wings and inverted torch atop a granite monument
The Haserot Angel stands atop a granite monument at Lake View Cemetery, its weathered bronze surface and wings visible against winter trees.
November 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Weathered green Haserot Angel statue with large wings mounted on a granite monument.
The Haserot Angel statue rises above a polished granite grave monument.
October 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Haserot Angel, a weathered green-patinated winged figure beside a polished stone monument.
The Haserot Angel is shown in profile beside the Haserot plot monument at Lake View Cemetery.
November 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Haserot Angel statue holding an upside-down torch, with dark streaks on its face and feathered wings behind it.
The Haserot Angel, shown with its inverted torch and weathered bronze surface.
September 2025 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Left detail of the Haserot Angel, showing a weathered greenish winged figure holding a staff with dark streaks on its face.
Left detail of the Haserot Angel shows the weathered winged figure holding a staff beside a stone monument.
November 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleHaserot Monument
Alternative namesThe Angel of Death Victorious; The Angel of Death; The Weeping Angel; Angel of Haserot
TypeBronze sculpture; grave marker
Common nameHaserot Angel

Historical context

Creation date1923
Installation date1924

Creator

ArtistHerman Matzen
Sculptor descriptionOhio-based sculptor from Denmark

Discovery and provenance

Patron other business interestsHe invested in other businesses, including the national bank Coal & Iron
Model used in creationA clay model served as a guide
Commissioner's later lifeFrancis lived more than twenty years after his wife's death and never remarried
Sarah's family backgroundDaughter of Henry McKinney, a judge in Cleveland
Patron government appointmentAppointed by President William McKinley to a post in Puerto Rico after the Cuban War
Patron backgroundFrancis Henry Haserot was the son of German immigrants who arrived in Cleveland in the 1830s
Company trade goodsMostly tea and coffee, plus pineapple from Hawaii and fruit from the Pacific coast
Patron business careerOwner of Northern Haserot, a mercantile company in Ohio with affiliates around the world
Patron childhood occupationHe started delivering newspapers at age seven
Commissioned forHis wife, Sarah, after her death in 1919
Commissioned byFrancis Henry Haserot, president of the Haserot Company of Cleveland

Physical characteristics

BasePolished granite
GazeFacing forward
PoseSitting with wings spread and arms resting on an overturned torch
Depicted figureA seated angel
SizeLife-sized

Materials

MaterialBronze
Original materialClay

Iconography and meaning

DepictsAn angel seated on a polished granite base holding an inverted torch
Symbolism of torchSymbol of life just extinguished
InscriptionThe surname "Haserot" is inscribed on the base, referring to the tomb owner

Appearance

Notable featureDark marks on the face create the illusion that the statue is crying
Surface color changeThe sculpture has acquired a greenish tone
Cause of surface effectOxidation and weathering of the bronze over time, likely worsened by Rust Belt pollution and acid rain
FameThe tear-like marks contributed to the statue's international fame

Location and ownership

LocationLake View Cemetery, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, United States
Installation locationThe cemetery

Significance

ReputationWorld-renowned
Tourist significanceHas become a tourist destination
Photographic prominenceOne of the most photographed monuments in the cemetery
Cultural receptionSubject of legends and study by psychics and ghost hunters
Later interpretationIn recent years it has become a haunted attraction
Interpreted meaningSeen as a sign of Francis Haserot's grief over his wife's death
Reported phenomenaTourists have reported strange paranormal phenomena

Other

Depicted on album coverFeatured on the cover of Will Haven's 2015 EP Open the Mind to Discomfort and Killer Be Killed's studio album Reluctant Hero
Cover selection noteThe Reluctant Hero cover was selected after a declaration by Max Cavalera in an interview with Revolver
Interpretive/visual source contextAt that time, Max Cavalera was looking for "black metal" images through National Geographic magazines