Sculpted in bronze, the Lying Couple rests before you. This isn’t just any couple. They are Bettina and Achim von Arnim, a power couple of the Romantic era. The Lying Couple sculpture, commissioned in 1979 and finished in the mid-1990s, captures their rebellious spirits. East Berlin artist Michael Klein immortalized them here in Arnimplatz, a park named after them. Bettina, nicknamed “goblin,” was a writer, poet, and composer. She was known for her spirited personality and her fascination with Goethe. Her husband, Achim von Arnim, a wealthy nobleman, shared her literary passions. The sculpture depicts them gazing in different directions, hinting at their separate lives. Bettina thrived in Berlin’s cultural scene, possibly even having an affair with Beethoven. Achim, a loner who published a “Newspaper for Hermits,” preferred the solitude of his childhood home. Despite their differences, both left their mark on German literature. Bettina’s correspondence with Goethe, though embellished, remains influential. Achim’s works explored tragic love and surrealist fantasy, reflecting the turbulent times they lived in. He also played a significant role in preserving German folk songs, a project comparable to the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales. Here, at the Lying Couple, their legacy lives on in bronze.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to