Piercing the sky, the Aufbruch Sculpture stands as a powerful statement. Have you ever stopped to consider what this sculpture represents?
The Aufbruch Sculpture is located on Albertina Platz. This square is also known as Remembrance Square. It is easy to see why when you understand it is a walk-about commemorative site.
The Aufbruch Sculpture is part of a collection called the Monument Against War and Fascism. The city of Vienna commissioned Austrian sculptor Alfred Hrdlicka to create this monument. It was finally dedicated in November 1988 after years of debate. The debate centered around its content and location.
Some parts of the Aufbruch Sculpture are made from granite. This granite comes from the area of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. The monument commemorates those who lost their lives. These deaths were due to the activities of the National Socialism Regime and WW11.
The debate about the monument highlighted a theme in Vienna. Should they bury the past or re-open old wounds? These debates are linked to Austria’s difficult situation before and during WW11. Also it is linked to the complicated role of anti-semitism in Austrian history.
There are four separate parts to the Aufbruch Sculpture. They are spread across the cobbled square. Each references different parts of Austrian history under Nazi control.
One structure is called the Gates of Violence. These are two large blocks of carved white granite on large stone bases. One block is called Hinterland Front. The other is Hero’s Death. The carvings depict chained laborers and civilian victims of war. There are also figures connected to Nazi concentration camps. Recently, video screens were added to one side of the stone bases. These display footage of persecuted Jewish people. It shows them being heckled by bystanders. It is dedicated to all victims of wars and violence.
Another structure is called Street-washing Jew. It is a low bronze figure. It shows a Jewish person being forced to scrub off anti-Nazi graffiti with a toothbrush. Soon after Austria was annexed into Germany, local Nazi party members organized scrubbings. Jews were forced to clean public streets and walls. In 2015, Austrian artist Ruth Beckermann completed the scene. She added laughing spectators.
Orpheus enters Hades shows a male figure emerging from a large piece of limestone. It is dedicated to all the victims of Nazi-ism in Austria. In March 1945, hundreds of civilians sought refuge in the basement of an inn. The inn was on the site of present-day Albertina Platz. The inn was hit and the civilians were not rescued. Orpheus is meant to be an ironic symbol. Orpheus descended into Hades to search for Eurydice. The Viennese did not descend into the cellars to search for those trapped.
Directly behind this is The Stone of the Republic. It is a thirty-foot tall tablet-like stone. Inscribed into the stone are excerpts from the 1945 declaration. This declaration established Austria’s Second Republic.
Alfred Hrdlicka favored dark subjects. Human suffering and repression are central themes in his work. His work references history and violent confrontations.
So, as you stand before the Aufbruch Sculpture, remember it is more than art. It is a powerful reminder of a dark past. It encourages us to confront history.