2009-12-31

Dangling ivy

2009-08-18

Earth spirit

Opposite the Alter Turm, and constantly gazing upon it, is the Erdgeist, a 14m high bird figure, created in 2000 by André Heller for the World Wildlife Fund's stand at the Hannover Expo.

2009-03-19

Gaping gargoyle: This one is to be found in a well frequented location before the stairs leading up to the Schloss. Yesterday's stony face is in a backstreet nearby.

Update: I later found out this figure is part of Saarbrücken folklore. It was originally to be found as part of the old bridge across the Saar, and is thus several hundred years old. The legend is that this figure is a mean baker, who refused to give the poor and starving bread. In some versions of the story, he even extracted sexual favours in return for bread. The wife of the then reigning prince is supposed to have begged him for bread incognito and thus discovered his evil ways. Part of his punishment was to have this image of him used for drainage.