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The statue of Roland, located in the Market Square in Bremen, is the main symbol of the city. There is a belief among the townspeople: as long as Bremen Roland is standing, the city will retain its independence. In 2004, Roland was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before the present sculpture, there was another wooden sculpture of Roland, which was burned in May 1366. In 1404, a new Roland was installed in the city, but already made of stone. Also, according to written sources, the people of Bremen, having forged the imperial letter, decorated Roland's shield with the imperial coat of arms, thus allegedly proclaiming Bremen an imperial city. The sculpture reaches 5.47 meters in height. The sculpture was made in the form of a hero of French legends, leaning on a column decorated with ciborium. The total height of the statue is 10.21 meters, including the ciborium and the pedestal. Roland's sculpture was originally colored. In the 18th century, the statue was painted gray. Napoleon planned to send Roland to the Louvre, but the locals were able to convince him that the statue has no artistic value. Today it is the largest free-standing sculpture of the German Middle Ages. According to the legend, after rubbing Roland's knee, you will definitely visit Bremen again. Throughout its existence, the statue was repeatedly restored. Roland's head was replaced in 1983, the original is currently in the Focke Museum. In 1989, a tape containing propaganda was found inside Roland. It soon became clear that the tape had been placed there by the National Socialists in 1938. We also recommend reading Horse farm Piber in Austria, Graz spa Topic: A statue of Roland in Germany, Bremen spa. |