The statue of Roland

The statue of Roland in the German city of Bremen is the oldest of numerous similar monuments located in Central and Eastern Europe. The statue is a recognized symbol of the city, inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

The first Bremen statue of Roland was wooden and was burned by the soldiers of the archbishop in 1366. Almost half a century later, in 1404, a 5.5-meter monument made by Klaus Zelleher and Jacob Olde from light limestone appeared on the Town Hall Square, which has survived to this day. The knight's shield has a motto on it. The purposeful location of the statue – directly opposite the Bremen Cathedral – testifies to the intense struggle of the citizens with the church authorities, which took place six centuries ago.

However, the Bremen statue, in addition to the symbolic, has a quite utilitarian purpose - the distance between the spikes on the knees of Roland is the standard of the Bremen elbow, which at that time was used by local merchants as a measure of length.

The statue has been restored several times. In 1983, Roland's head was replaced - the original is now in the city's museum.