Controversial Author Martin Walser‘s Lakeside Sculpture Now a local Landmark
Konstanz, Germany – A sculpture depicting the late German author Martin Walser riding a horse while wearing ice skates has become an accepted landmark in a small town on Lake Constance, despite initial controversy and even the author’s personal disapproval. the artwork, created by Peter Lenk in 1999, initially sparked debate due to Walser’s own contentious 1998 speech questioning the use of Auschwitz as a “moral club,” a statement widely interpreted as a trivialization of the Holocaust.
The sculpture, located in the town’s harbor, portrays Walser on a horse seemingly fleeing, with ice skates affixed to his feet. Lenk explained the skates were intended to symbolize the need to navigate “the thin ice of history” when making statements as a prominent literary figure.
Walser, who lived in a suburb near the town until his death in 2023, reportedly disliked the monument so much he even changed hairdressers to avoid passing it, according to local press like the Südkurier. The paper wryly noted, however, that there was never a hairdresser located on the corner were the sculpture stands.
The sculpture’s creation followed Lenk’s earlier, equally provocative work – the Imperia statue in a nearby city, depicting a 15th-century courtesan holding the Pope and Emperor as playthings. Both pieces initially faced public criticism, but have since been integrated into the local landscape.
The sculpture now stands as a monument that “has made the breaking through of devout homage part of everyday life, ironizing the monumental,” according to recent observations. It serves as a reminder of Walser’s complex legacy and the ongoing need to confront ancient responsibility, especially in light of “the brownish weariness of historical responsibility” – a sentiment Walser himself expressed in questioning whether Germans had become “a completely normal people, a completely normal society.”
the artwork’s evolution from point of contention to local landmark offers a subtle commentary on how societies grapple with challenging figures and challenging historical narratives, and a cautionary note against the resurgence of revisionist viewpoints.
