[1] Following unification in 1871 Germany underwent several decades of rapid economic modernisation and growth, which was coupled with government encouragement for expressions of national pride.
New churches, commercial properties and homes for rich entrepreneurs were enhanced with fashionable coloured glass embellishments, elaborate ironwork grills and ceramic tiles, wall-mounted fountains in entrance halls and, naturally, with sculptures.
[2] Back at the "Arts and Crafts Academy" in Karlsruhe he was a "masters student" ("Meisterschüler") of Hermann Volz [de], while also working as a researcher and undertaking teaching assignments between 1888 and 1898.
Another of the niches accommodated Dietsche's statue of Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen, which before finding its more permanent position was exhibited at the Paris World Fair in 1900.
Despite being evidently underwhelmed by all the submissions, the committee let it be known that they favoured Moest because he was more than twenty years older than Dietsche who would, they anticipated, have plenty more opportunities to create public sculptures.
[6] Shortly before he died Dietscke was given a commission by The Grand Duke Frederick to draft a proposal for a memorial to Karlsruhe's founder, Margrave Charles III William.
He prepared a model which added a separated fountain and equestrian statue which won widespread support when it was exhibited, but before the project could be further progressed he died at Hamburg while travelling to a coastal cure resort for a medical investigation.