''Kiepenkerl'' was originally a sandstone statue of a travelling merchant created by August Schmiemann in

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in 1896. Destroyed in World War II, it was re-created in cast metal by Albert Mazzotti Jr in 1953. The statue now stands in a small square in the Old Quarter of Münster. In 1987 American sculptor

Jeff Koons Jeffrey Lynn Koons (; born January 21, 1955) is an American artist recognized for his work dealing with popular culture and his sculptures depicting everyday objects, including balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror- finish su ...

created a replica of the design in polished cast stainless steel.

1896 statue

The original statue, like its successors, depicted a (literally "pannier guy": a travelling merchant or pedlar S: peddler with a carrying basket, whistle, knot stick and linen smock. It was carved from Baumberger sandstone by August Schmiemann and was inaugurated in

on 16 October 1896. The statue was destroyed by a US tank in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

1953 statue

A competition for a new statue was held immediately after the war ended. However, the new designs were vetoed by the mayor of

, . Subsequently, Albert Mazzotti Jr was commissioned to create a statue in bronze. It was inaugurated on 20 September 1953 by Federal President

Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His cordial nature – something of a contrast to the stern character of chancellor K ...

. Its location is Kiepenkerl Square, in the Old Quarter of Münster ().

1987 statue

For the 1987 Sculpture Projects Münster, American sculptor

created a replica of the statue in polished cast stainless steel. Koons produced an edition of three; one is on display at the

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was des ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

(). The guide for the Sculpture Projects Münster includes these notes by Georg Jappe:

The Kiepenkerl monument symbolizes the man who comes to town with a few eggs, potatoes, and rabbits in his "Kiepe" (a huge basket carried on the back). Actually he is a "Kötter" (a tenant farmer). The statue, created by an academic sculptor, became especially popular when, during the war, everything was burnt down, only the statue remained standing and then was blasted by a tank crew. The will to survive during the hoarding times: as early as 1953, the city of Münster still in ruins, Theodor Heuss inaugurated a new life-size Kiepenkerl monument in bronze. Bronze is art. That is the only art in this restoration monument. Jeff Koons now has recast it in stainless steel which he calls the "material of the masses" (a highly complicated procedure: as the form does not correspond to any industrial standard, the various parts had to be smelted at 1800 degrees Centigrade and cast one by one and then welded together) and finally gave it a high mirror polish to create a "false front of luxury".

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiepenkerl 1896 sculptures 1953 sculptures 1987 sculptures Destroyed sculptures Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. Sculptures by Jeff Koons Sculptures of the Smithsonian Institution Steel sculptures in Washington, D.C.

1896 statue

1953 statue

1987 statue

See also

References

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