Alexander Calder | Halberdier

The sculpture *Hellebardier* by Alexander Calder (b. 1898 in Lawnton, USA – † 1976), also known by the alternative title “Guadeloupe,” was donated to the city of Hanover in 1972 by the collector and patron Bernhard Sprengel and can be interpreted as a commentary on what he perceived as a lack of cosmopolitanism in the “street art program.” It was initially installed in front of the opera house, but in 1978, following public protests, it was moved to the Sprengel Museum Hannover. There, the sculpture serves as a bridge between the museum as a cultural venue and the Maschsee recreational area; at the same time, it stands as a clear symbol of modernism in contrast to the sculptures from the Nazi era that remain on the lake’s shore (Hermann Scheuernstuhl’s “Torchbearer” and “Fish with a Riding Putto” are located nearby and are explained on site). » Location: Kurt-Schwitters-Platz