Statue must be renovated Beethoven monument hovers above Münsterplatz
Bonn · Many passers-by watched on Wednesday morning on Münsterplatz as the Beethoven statue, weighing around 3.2 tonnes, was loaded onto a low-loader. The experts had to proceed very carefully.
On this Wednesday morning at 10.43 a.m., it is as quiet as a mouse around the Beethoven monument on Münsterplatz. All that can be heard is the clicking of cameras. Journalists and passers-by have gathered and are looking intently at the city's most famous son. His statue is braced with several slings, a special crane has it on a hook. As the Beethoven monument slowly rises, applause erupts. Hermann Krause's facial features relax.
Removal was prepared for a year
Krause is the project manager at the Municipal Building Management (SGB) and spent more than a year organising and planning the removal of the Beethoven Monument together with other specialists. A demanding task, after all, the statue is the best known and also the most popular in the federal city.
During an inspection of the statue in autumn 2020, corrosion damage was discovered. Dirt and water can thus penetrate unhindered and also cause corrosion inside the hollow statue. The damage is hardly visible to passers-by, but it must be urgently repaired. Hence the removal.
Every belt must fit perfectly
The many belts, which resembled a harness, were also absolutely necessary, as Krause explained. "We have to lift the weight load of the figure as evenly as possible so that there is no deformation or damage. Of course, that would be a worst-case scenario for a monument conservator," said the project manager. That's why the preparations for the monument took longer than expected. Each strap had to fit perfectly, was not allowed to slip and, of course, was not allowed to exert too much pressure on just one spot.
The listed figure weighs about 3.2 tonnes, the base covering, the so-called pedestal, about 3.4 tonnes. All in all, the specialists had to load about 6.6 tonnes of weight onto the waiting low-loader. This was parked directly in front of the post office, as the low-loader also has a high dead weight - after all, the underground car park is located directly under the Münsterplatz. Therefore, the special crane and also the trailer could only be parked on designated spaces capable of accommodating the full load.
Company from Schleswig-Holstein rents workshop for restoration work
It had been difficult to find a suitable company for the restoration. There are only a few companies in Germany that do this kind of work, the project manager explained. After a call for tenders, the decision was made in favour of a company from Schleswig-Holstein. The company Recovis specialises in metal restoration, especially of bronze. To keep the transport distance for the precious statue as short as possible, the company rented a workshop in the Rhein-Sieg district. According to project manager Krause, the restoration of the Beethoven monument would cost a total of around 60,000 euros - the German Foundation for Monument Protection and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are each supporting the work with 15,000 euros.
Concrete plinth to be repaired on site
The concrete base will remain in place and will also be repaired. The lighting will also be renewed. In the workshop, the restorers now have to prepare themselves for small-scale work: The surface of the statue will be cleaned with cotton swabs, sponges and water. The aim is not to achieve an absolutely clean surface, but rather to remove layers of dirt and preserve the patina. Pigeon droppings and graffiti residues on the allegory panels, among others, are also removed. If necessary, crusts must be thinned out with a scalpel and glass fibre pen. SGB boss Lutz Leide was very satisfied after the loading process. "Everything worked out great - thanks to the preparation of Mr Krause and his team," said Leide.
Beethoven statue leaves its location for the second time already
Incidentally, this is not the first time that the Beethoven statue has left its traditional place. It was last extensively restored between 1963 and 1965, so the statue was removed in 1963. Repairs on the work performed during this period also need to be made. To ensure that the place is not completely empty now, there will be a pedestal protection with information and historical views of the statue. The protection consists of a three-metre-high wooden box until the Beethoven monument returns.
Passer-by sings "Freude, schöner Götterfunken" as a farewell song
Stephan Eisel, chairman of the Citizens for Beethoven, naturally did not miss the removal. He watched the scene with one "crying and one laughing" eye. With a crying eye, because the popular statue is now gone for the time being, but also with a laughing eye, because it is to return in the summer. He expressly praised the city's commitment. His association is also planning activities at the monument for the warmer months to bridge the period of restoration. If all work goes according to plan, the statue should return in June this year. While the employees of the transport company lashed Beethoven firmly to the low-loader, an elderly lady began to sing "Freude, schöner Götterfunken". As a good luck charm, so to speak, for the upcoming restoration.
(Original text: Maximilian Mühlens; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
