The Roland von Burg can be identified for the first time in 1521. Back then it was given a new coat of paint, so it must have existed for a long time. It is also mentioned that it is made of wood and that it also received decorations. The next renovation was necessary in 1541. It was seen as a symbol of the city's market rights and is therefore a legal monument. Finally, in 1581, a stone Roland was erected. This was built on the Neumarkt of the lower town. There it was set up in front of the guild house, which also served as a department store for the cloths from Burg.
The approximately four meter high statue survived the Thirty Years War, but was destroyed in 1823. At that time, a private person bought the guild house and turned it into the Gasthof Zum Roland. Probably to make room in front of the building, he dismantled the Roland and stored it in the courtyard. In 1861 he added the head as a bust in the facade. As a result, it was preserved as the only fragment of the original from 1581.
After the building was demolished in 1970, the head and shoulders were located on a pyramid in front of the Upper Town Hall and in the municipal building yard. Today the original is housed in the museum. In 1999, however, it was decided to re-manufacture the Roland on Rolandsplatz in front of the Hotel Stadt Burg. The statue made of Nebra sandstone was created based on the head and a surviving illustration, but the perspective was not considered as with the original, so that today's Roland is much larger than the historical one. While the original was between 3.8 and 4.2 meters high, the current copy is 5.5 meters high.
Translated by Google •
In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!