A curious glint of bronze catches the eye at the Wolf und Storch Sculpture. Here in Berlin’s Treptower Park, this playful yet poignant artwork depicts a scene from Jean de La Fontaine’s fable, “The Wolf and the Stork”. The Wolf und Storch Sculpture vividly captures the moment of the stork’s clever revenge. Recall how the wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat, tricked the stork into helping him. He promised a reward but, once the bone was removed, scoffed at the stork’s expectation of payment. The Wolf und Storch Sculpture freezes the stork’s payback. The wolf, head thrown back and jaw wide open, sits on its haunches. The stork, comically oversized and sporting a monocle, plunges its long beak down the wolf’s throat. Originally, this Wolf und Storch Sculpture was a functioning fountain. The water would spout from the wolf’s open mouth, mimicking the very action of the story. Created by Stephan Horota between 1968 and 1970, this particular sculpture was installed here in 1973. It’s one of several versions. Others reside in Hohenschönhausen and Prenzlauer Berg. This Wolf und Storch Sculpture, however, has a unique history tied to the “Blume und Plastik” exhibition held in Treptower Park from 1957. The exhibition showcased artists from East Germany and other Eastern European countries. Some of the displayed pieces, like this charming Wolf und Storch Sculpture, became permanent fixtures. The sculpture is a testament to the power of fables. It reminds us, with a touch of humor, that trickery and ingratitude rarely go unpunished.
Genossenschaft PA58
From 1981 the Genossenschaft PA58 stands tall. It’s a self-managed house project. This is its story. This impressive building in