Roland von Gardelegen

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Roland in Gardelegen

The Roland von Gardelegen is a sight of the Hanseatic city of Gardelegen . He is a statue of a knight with a sword. Roland statues have been a symbol of the independence of a city in many cities in northern and eastern Germany since the Middle Ages, which is characterized by its own market rights and jurisdiction . It was generally regarded as a symbol of civic pride and the productivity of craftsmen and merchants.

history

The Roland was mentioned for the first time in the city regulations in 1450. The reason for the documentary mention was the requirement to gather at Roland when a fire broke out. In a town fire in 1526, the statue, probably made of sandstone, was so badly damaged that the town commissioned a new one. During this time the city was financially well off, especially through the export of Garley beer , and so this acquisition was possible. In 1564 the new Roland statue made of Elm limestone was erected. In a chronicle from 1668 it is reported that Roland was "... a stone statue, in war armor / holds an erect heavy weight in one hand, the other is locked."

In 1667 there was another severe fire in the city, in the course of which the statue of Roland was damaged. Attempts have been made to prevent it from collapsing by means of numerous supports. These measures had no lasting success: on the night of April 18, 1727, the Roland finally collapsed. Here Over and over the appearance of the statue of Roland, reports Johann Christoph Bekmann in his Historical [n] description of Churchill and Mark Brandenburg of 1751: "Before Rahthause stands a Roland column, almost art on how to Stendal , also has as iene An Eulenspiegel at the back of the lower part of the back, but was somewhat damaged by the great fire A. 1667. A. 1727, April 18th, but at night it fell into pieces and fell apart. ”Due to the poor economic situation of the city at that time, it was not possible to buy it again.

It was not until 275 years after its fall, on April 18, 2002, that the new Roland was ceremoniously unveiled. It was created under the artistic direction of the graphic artist and sculptor Lutz Gaede. The sculpture measures approx. 4.30 m and is made of Ummendorfer sandstone . On the back of the Roland - following the historical description - there is a small jester figure sitting on a column entwined with hops - a reference to the historical heyday of the city between 1500 and 1630, which it achieved primarily through the cultivation of hops and brewing .

swell

See also

Coordinates: 52 ° 31 '34.4 "  N , 11 ° 23' 32.9"  E