Barracks With Two Large Stone Horses

[krim4142]

Number One

[krim4142]

Barracks With Two Large Stone Horses

Number Two

[randy@treadways]

Interesting story.

The two huge horses and horsement sculpted out of granite for the 1937 Reichsaustellung Schaffendes Volk - Creative People in Düsseldorf. Due to wrangles, the exhibition, opened in the presence of H.Goehring, ran with these monumental statues in an unfinished state - the right hand one extremely so. It was only in 1940 that the sculptor was allowed to complete the project, having suffered a ban at the hands of the regime in the meantime. The sculptor was Edwin Scharff..

Scharff seems to have been in frequent trouble with the Nazis for his political views- removed from art posts several times, then reinstated after a few years. He began these horses for the 1937 expo but was banned in early '37 before they were finished.









So it appears that your Photo One showing the scaffolding was taken in 1940 when Scharff was allowed to finish the sculptures.

The horses are still there today in their original location- Düsseldorf's Nordpark.

[randy@treadways]

I suppose stylistically the Nazis could have explained the unfinished horse at the '37 Expo as representing the German people who were 'still evolving' from the constraints of the Weimar treaties imposed by the western allies. Most other examples of Nazi-endorsed art showed Aryan ideals as they envisioned the future.

[krim4142]

Thank You

Excellent photos thank you.

Peter

[Gerdan]

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordpar...eb.C3.A4ndiger

Gerdan

[randy@treadways]

The reason I was able to quickly trace these horses to Dusseldorf, was because just three weeks ago I had read a fine article by Jerry H. Miller in the February issue of The German Postal Specialist. The article includes numerous photographs, including the unfinished horses... although the article provides no explanation for their unfinished state. It does, however, go into some detail about how this exhibition came to be, and the reasons why.... in the same year that Germany was represented by the huge Speer-designed exhibition hall at the International Exposition in Paris.