…. on the roof
They have long been part of Lübeck, stand high above our actual field of vision, and may not even be immediately recognizable as a significant work of art that addresses a serious and still highly topical issue: namely, those people who flee war, persecution, and death, leaving their homeland and having to start a new life in a foreign environment.
For the 9th documenta in Kassel in 1992, the artist Thomas Schütte created a permanent installation entitled "The Strangers," inspired by the Gulf War and the large influx of Kurdish refugees. Lübeck owes the fact that part of this impressive installation can now be seen on the roof of the Music and Congress Hall to the Possehl Foundation under its then-chairman, Dr. Robert Knüppel. In 1994, the foundation decided to donate a work of art to the city as part of its "Art in Public Space" program. The group of figures on the roof of the Music and Congress Hall consists of three "people" and seven pieces of "luggage" and is thus only one part of the documenta work.
The glazed terracotta figures weigh up to 300 kilograms and stand up to 2 meters tall. The colorful figures high above, the hall's austere architecture, and the historic brick architecture of the old town opposite create a striking contrast.
Taking a break at the MuK (Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck) and looking up opens up new perspectives on the subject: it seems to me as if the "strangers," with their downcast gaze, are observing the people below on the street, including myself. They themselves are excluded from everyday life in the city, standing not only on the periphery but even on an elevated platform, almost impossibly distant. Yet, with closed eyes, they turn towards the old town as if inwardly preparing themselves for everything new that lies ahead. And they radiate a profound sense of calm and dignity. After all, they carry their enriching culture and their own traditions with them, which they are eager to share with the people in their new home. In this sense, this example of art in architecture is, for me, one that radiates hope.