Undine wins: Modern art conquers the Havelstadt Brandenburg

Undine wins: Modern art conquers the Havelstadt Brandenburg

Brandenburg an der Havel, Deutschland - The view of the Havel is a constant longing for the new Undine, the magnificent statue that has been at the Packhof since 2015. It was launched as part of a design competition, the competitive conditions of which designed architect Achim Krekeler. Among the participating artists were Monika Spieß and Dirk Harms, who did not receive the order. Instead, the artist duo Knuth Seim and Heike Adner prevailed with their modern interpretation of the Undine and convince the jury. As reports [Meetingpoint-brandenburg.de] (https://meetingpoint-brandenburg.de/neuke/artikel/200969-undine-blickt-sehnsuecht- von-ihrer-Landzente-Havel), the figure is based on the art fairymist of the same name by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, which was published in 1811.

The statue brings the legendary mermaid into its own at an impressive height of 1.50 meters. Working on this bronze statue was anything but at short notice: the entire process from the first line to completion took around five years. To create the figure, Knuth Seim worked in plaster before the individual parts were made in a foundry in Landin. The statue was sawn into eight parts, which were then reinforced and welded together by steel rods. In the final version, the Undine weighs a proud 150 kilograms.

a piece of history

Although Undine represents a cultural symbol for many, it has no roots in the Havelstadt itself. Her creator, Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte Fouqué, was born on February 12, 1777 in Brandenburg an der Havel and is considered one of the pioneers of German romance. He came from an old -fashioned French Huguenot family and received his upbringing from various tutors. In his youth he already entered the Prussian army and took part in the 1794 Rhine campaign. Fouqué was not only active militarily, but also worked and published numerous important works, including the story "Undine", which appeared in 1811. According to wikipedia.org this is his best -known work and has been reissued several times.

The statue of the Undine is located on a small headland of the Packhof and was solemnly unveiled on April 11, 2015. At the base of the statue there are three QR codes that provide further information about the figure, the artist and the Rotary Club, which was involved in the implementation of the project. This not only becomes an optical highlight on the water, but also an interactive source of information for passers -by and interested parties.

A look into the future

The figure is not only an artistic symbol, but also as a starting point for the continuation of the culture in the region. The city of Brandenburg an der Havel honored the important poet and his works when the Fouqué library was founded in 1998 and organizes an undine writing competition for young talents every year. In times when the combination of art and history seems more important than ever, the Undine at the Packhof remains a brilliant example of the meeting of tradition and modern understanding of art.