Statues - Hither & Thither

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Esens
Lkr. Wittmund
Niedersachsen

Kirchplatz / Marktplatz

Der Esenser Bär

The Bear of Esens

Friedrich Büschelberger
1980

Description

Statue of a performing bear with a stone in his forepaws.

Inscription(s)

DER ESENSER BÄR
nach der überlieferung
rettete im mittelalter
ein tanzbär die befestigte
stadt esens vor der er-
oberung durch feindliche
truppen.

heute ist der bär
esenser wappentier

f. büschelberger fec. aurich 1980

Signature

FB 80

Annotation

The statue refers to the legend associated with Balthasar Oomkens von Esens. One year, the city was besieged by Bremen, and amongst the people trapped behind the city walls there was an itinerant musician and his performing bear. As the siege dragged on, provisions ran out and the famished bear escaped. Breaking free of his chains, the bear climbed up one of the defensive towers, where his enraged roars attracted the attention of the besiegers. In his confusion, the bear broke some of the stones from the ancient walls and hurled them at the enemy. The besiegers concluded that if the people of Esens had enough food to feed a bear, they must have plenty to feed themselves and as the spectacle of the roaring bear unsettled them, they called off the siege and returned to Bremen. In gratitude, the people of Esens immortalised the bear in their city's coat of arms.

Sculptor

Friedrich Büschelberger (Dresden 1904 - Titisee/Neustadt 1990), German sculptor (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Balthasar von Esens.

Location (N 53°38'49" - E 7°36'43")

Item Code: dens220; Photograph: 27 April 2014
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