Rolandstatue - Wedel, S.-H., Deutschland
N 53° 35.036 E 009° 41.868
32U E 546195 N 5937457
Rolandstatue auf dem Marktplatz in Wedel
Waymark Code: WMX12Q
Location: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Date Posted: 11/11/2017
Views: 8
The Roland - the symbol of the city Wedel
For more than 500 years, the statue of Roland has stood as a symbol of market justice on the market square in Wedel. It is one of the oldest extant relics in the city.
According to legend, Roland was a knight in the service of Emperor Charlemagne, who lived from 747 to 814. Knight Roland was much revered by the people and after his death, he probably died in the year 778 in a fight in the Pyrenees, by the Rolandslied by Konrad the priest to the hero of the legendary world of the Middle Ages.
Roland statues were erected in the Middle Ages as a sign of civil liberties in many cities. The statue in Wedel is a bit different. It represents on the one hand the knight Roland, on the other hand an imperial figure. The Roland stands as symbol for lent trade and market rights in direct connection with the ox market. There are no documents about the establishment of Wedeler Roland. A first market sign, perhaps a market cross, around 1450 is likely. At that time the previous ferry station Lichte had been destroyed by a storm surge and a new one had been built in Wedel. Also the ox market came to Wedel. Around 1558, the figure was built from sandstone blocks.
The figure has a height of 4.5 meters and a width of 1.50 meters. The base has a footprint of 2 by 2 meters and is 2.20 meters high. The weight of Roland is about 8 tons.
Source: wedel.de
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