The Bremen Town Musicians (Riga)
The Bremen Town Musicians ( Latvian Brēmenes pilsētas muzikanti ) is a sculpture representing the Bremen Town Musicians in the Latvian capital Riga .
location
It is located on the south side of Scharrenstrasse ( Skārņu iela ) north of Petrikirche in Riga's old town.
Design and history
The sculpture was given to the twin city of Riga as a gift from the city of Bremen in 1990 and was installed. It is an interpretation by Christa Baumgärtel of a sculpture made by Gerhard Marcks in 1953 and standing in front of Bremen's town hall .
The sculpture depicts the characters from the fairy tale of the Bremen Town Musicians, a donkey , a dog , a cat and a rooster , each standing on top of one another. In contrast to the Bremen monument, the animal formation is arranged between two massive metal bands. The gap through which the animals look represents the surprisingly open Iron Curtain . The facial expressions and posture of the animals show, unlike the Bremen model, the surprise and emotions that come with the opening of the curtain and the new freedom it offers.
The bronze sculpture rests on a stone base and is three meters high.
On the front of the stone plinth there is an inscription which names the sculpture, the artist and the donor in Latvian and German . The German text is:
THE CITY MUSICANTS OF BREMEN
ARTIST: CHRISTA BAUMGÄRTEL, 1990
GIFT FROM THE FREE HANSEAL CITY OF BREMEN
ritual
In popular belief is said that rubbing the noses of the animals would bring good luck. The higher you got, the more luck you would get. Since the sculpture is part of the standard tourist program of Riga visitors and the ritual is recommended by city guides, the animals' noses now shine gold.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A visit to the Bremen Town Musicians in Riga . In: From place to place. travel . December 27, 2016 ( vonortzuort.reisen [accessed September 25, 2018]).
Coordinates: 56 ° 56 ′ 51.8 ″ N , 24 ° 6 ′ 35.1 ″ E