Columbus Statue

The Columbus statue, nowadays situated on the Columbus Center forecourt near the hinged bridge, was originally donated by the wealthy German-American Johann Bernhard von Glahn, who was born in Lehe. As winner of a competition started in 1894 by the Munich Art Academy, the art nouveau sculptor Professor Ludwig Habrich designed the statue. After casting and completion, the artwork was placed in the Park of Speckenbüttel (in the northern part of Bremerhaven) in 1896. Wartime production in World War I led to it being melted down for the purpose of making artillery shells. But luckily, a plastercast was found in Darmstadt, so the statue could be reproduced in 1978. The general interpretation is that the statue symbolises the traditional links between Bremerhaven and the US.

City Map Extract

The following keywords were given for this article