Legend says a gift sparked disputes. Here at the Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture, we unravel that tale. This sculpture stands as a reminder of Bremen’s history. It depicts Gräfin Emma and Herzog Benno. The Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture is located in Bremen-Schwachhausen. It is at H.H. Meier Allee and Emmastraße.
The Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture was first erected in 1977. It was made of concrete. In 1988, the sculpture was reworked in bronze. Thomas Recker created this artwork. He is also responsible for other Bremen sculptures. These include Figurengruppe in Vegesack, Das Kissen in Findorff, and Ich wär so gern Dein Teddybär in der Vahr.
The Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture recalls a story from 1032. Gräfin Emma von Lesum lived from 975 or 980 to 1038. She was the last widow of the Count of Lesum. She bequeathed the Bürgerweide to Bremen’s citizens. The Bürgerweide was located between Utbremen and Schwachhausen back then.
However, her brother-in-law Herzog Benno intervened. Herzog Benno declared the donation only include the land. It was only to include the land that a cripple could crawl around from sunrise to sunset. The Bürgerweide was a commonage. It was communal property of the city. This was confirmed in 1159 in the Weidebrief.
The head of the cripple is supposedly depicted between the feet of the Bremen Roland. A large portion of the area became today’s Bürgerpark in 1865.
Another memorial to Gräfin Emma exists in Bremen-Burglesum. This is the Gräfin-Emma-Denkmal by Christa Baumgärtel. It has stood at Lesumer Markt since 2009.
The bronze version of the Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture from 1988 was financed by donations. The people of Bremen helped make it happen.
Gräfin Emma was married to Graf Liudger. He was the son of the Saxon Margrave Hermann Billung. He was also the brother of Duke Bernhard I of Saxony. Emma resided on her estate in Lesum after 1011. It was likely in St Magnus where Haus Lesmona stands today. Emma was a generous landowner. After her death, she was revered as a saint.
So next time you stroll through Bürgerpark. Remember the Gräfin Emma und Herzog Benno Sculpture. Remember Emma’s generosity. Remember Benno’s condition. Their story shaped Bremen’s landscape and identity.