What if these bronze hands could speak? They would tell a tale of Bremen’s resilience. They would speak of the rise and fall of an industrial giant. This is the Arbeitende Hände Sculpture. It is a monument to the city’s working class.
The Arbeitende Hände Sculpture stands in Bremen-Gröpelingen. It’s on Bürgermeister-Ehlers-Platz. The sculpture sits proudly near Pastorenweg. Here, a vibrant weekly market unfolds every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Bernd Altenstein created this bronze sculpture in 1987. It rests on a concrete base. The base measures 3.9 meters by 2.3 meters by 1.6 meters. The artwork emerged a year after the AG Weser shipyard’s collapse. This shipyard had been Gröpelingen and Walle’s primary employer. Since the early 20th century, it was the most important workplace. The locals lost a vital part of their lives.
The Arbeitende Hände Sculpture embodies two working hands. One hand firmly grips a workpiece. The other barely touches it. The sculpture captures a specific motion within a work process. Bremen’s Senator for Culture interprets the sculpture intriguingly. The senator believes its composition lacks a clear, calm perspective. The surfaces offer little for the eye to settle on. The sculpture’s unrest reflects the insecurity of job loss.
With the strong symbolism of hands in work gloves, the artist created a memorial to the shipyard workers and often forgotten female shipyard workers. The shipyard’s closure occurred nearly 40 years ago. Yet, the memory lives on in urban planning. Gröpelingen transformed after economic crisis and redevelopment. It became the youngest, most international, and lively district in Bremen’s west. The industrial port ensures the district remains a harbor location. It thrives economically with thousands of jobs for Bremen.
Altenstein’s other Bremen works include Das Ende. It is in Wallanlagen. There is also Entfaltung in Reeder-Bischoff-Straße. Waller Gespräche is on Wartburgplatz in Walle. Blockdieker Gespräche is in Osterholz. Zyklus Arbeit is a relief inside the Oberpostdirektion Bremen. Vier Jahreszeiten is near the Hollersee at Park Hotel Bremen. Unser Planet is on Domshof. Fietje Balge is behind the Schütting near Bremen’s marketplace.
Waldemar Otto’s Zur Schicht sculpture from 1983 also commemorates the shipyard. It stands at Lindenhofstraße and Dockstraße in Gröpelingen. The Arbeitende Hände Sculpture serves as a reminder. It honors Bremen’s working class. It acknowledges their contributions to the city’s identity.