The Bremen Roland is a statue of Roland, erected in 1404. It stands in the market square (''Rathausplatz'') of Bremen, Germany, facing the cathedral, and shows Roland,

paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...

of the first Holy Roman Emperor

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

and hero of the

Battle of Roncevaux Pass The Battle of Roncevaux Pass ( French and English spelling, ''Roncesvalles'' in Spanish, ''Orreaga'' in Basque) in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on t ...

. Statues of Roland appear in numerous cities of the former

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, as emblems of city liberties, ''Stadtrechte''. The Roland statue at Bremen is the oldest surviving example. From Bremen the symbol of

civic liberty and freedom ''Stadtluft macht frei''In Modern German it is pronounced . ("urban air makes you free"), or ''Stadtluft macht frei nach Jahr und Tag'' ("city air makes you free after a year and a day"), is a German saying describing a principle of law in the Mid ...

spread to other cities and has become a symbol of the new Europe. Since 1973, it is protected by the monument protection act. In July 2004, along with the town hall, the statue was added to the list of

UNESCO World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in recognition of its outstanding architecture and symbolism of an important historical figure.

Description

Roland is shown as protector of the city: his legendary sword (known in chivalric legend as ''

Durendal Durendal, also spelled Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. It is also said to have belonged to young Charlemagne at one point, and, passing through Sara ...

'') is unsheathed, and his shield is emblazoned with the two-headed Imperial eagle. The standing figure is 5.47 m tall, and stands on a 60 cm rostrum. A supporting column, crowned by a

baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over hi ...

, brings the combined height to 10.21 m. The statue was carved in

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

from the

Elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...

, and was commissioned by the city fathers to replace a wooden one burnt in 1366 by Prince-Archbishop Albert II. It confronts the church as a representation of city rights opposed to the territorial claims of the prince-archbishop. The inscription on the shield reads: ''"vryheit do ik yu openbar / de karl und mēnnich vorst vorwar / desser stede ghegheven hat / des dankt gode is mīn radt"'' This translates in English to: ''"Freedom I do manifest to you / which Karl and many noblemen indeed / have given to this place. / For this thank God, that is my advice."''

Legend

According to legend, Bremen will remain free and independent for as long as Roland stands watch over the city. For this reason, it is alleged that a second Roland statue is kept hidden in the town hall's underground vaults, which can be quickly installed as a substitute, should the original fall.

Kleiner Roland

Kleiner Roland in Neustadt was erected in 1737, by the 1st Neustädter Bürgerkompanie. As a result of Neustädter citizens having very limited citizenship rights since 1642. It is based on the larger Roland of 1404. It's inscription reads: ''"You have the big one standing there, we stand before the little one. We are not the big city, we are the little one and the appendage, but we are as much city as you are."''

Gallery

RolandBremen01.jpg, Statue of Roland on the market square Bremen Peace Medal 1648 by Blum, obverse.jpeg, The Bremen Roland on a Medal of 1648 by commemorating the Peace of Westphalia Bremen, 'Roland am Marktplatz' (ca. 1905; Verlag Alb. Rosenthal, Bremen).jpg, Postcard of Bremen from circa 1905, showing Roland and the marketplace.

Notes

External links

Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen / UNESCO Official Website
{{World Heritage Sites in Germany World Heritage Sites in Germany Outdoor sculptures in Germany Tourist attractions in Bremen (state) Buildings and structures in Bremen (city) 1404 sculptures Works based on The Song of Roland Sculptures of men in Germany Statues in Germany ja:ブレーメンのマルクト広場の市庁舎とローラント像#ローラント像