Statues - Hither & Thither

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Zerstörung und Wiederaufbau der Stadt Magdeburg

Destruction and Reconstruction of the City of Magdeburg

Heinrich Apel
1983

Magdeburg / Zerstörung und Wiederaufbau der Stadt Magdeburg

Description

Bronze doors with reliefs and two sculptures of female figures 'War' and 'Peace' flanking the entrance. The ensemble refers to the destruction of Magdeburg in the Thirty Year's War in 1631 and in the Second World War in 1945.
The reliefs on the doors show from top to bottom:

Philemon and Baucis. An old married couple in the region of Tyana, who were only ones in their town to welcome disguised gods Zeus and Hermes. Zeus destroyed the town but warned Philemon and Baucus and had them go out of town, and they saw the town being destroyed (Wikipedia).
A snake.
Profile of the burning town of Magdeburg, with on the right the head of Cassandra and her accusation: Wer aber aus der Vergangenheit
nichts gelernt hat und weiter
Hass und Zwietracht sät,
den klagen wir an!
Death and misery

Cassandra had spent a night at Apollo's temple, at which time the temple snakes licked her ears clean so that she was able to hear the future. This cursed gift became a source of endless pain and frustration to her. She foresaw the destruction of Troy (she warned the Trojans about the Trojan Horse, the death of Agamemnon, and her own demise), she was unable to do anything to forestall these tragedies since no one believed her (Wikipedia).

Philemon and Baucis

A snake

The head of Cassandra and her accusation

Death and misery (left part)

Death and misery (right part)

Next to the doors are two sculptures:

War: "Mutter und Kind" (mother and child), a mourning woman with a (dead?) child.
Peace: "Trümmerfrau" (rubble woman)

War: "Mutter und Kind" (mother and child)

Peace: "Trümmerfrau" (rubble woman)

Inscription(s)

Signed (door and statues): [mark: bird's head in a circle] 1982

Annotation

Unveiled 10 May 1983, the 352th anniversary of the destruction of the town in the Thirty Year's War.

Sculptor

Heinrich Apel (Schwaneberg (Börde) 1935), German sculptor of Magdeburg (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Das schöne Detail..., Figuren, Reliefs und Denkmale in Magdeburg.
Wikipedia, St.-Johannis-Kirche (Magdeburg).
Sobottapedia, Architekturführer Magdeburg.

Locatie (N 52°7'51" - E 11°38'26") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: desa023; Photograph: 1 September 2012
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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