Hammering Man

The moving sculpture has become a symbol of the Frankfurt Trade Fair since the entrance to the fair here at the tower.

This sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky is 21 meters high. It is motorized and constantly moves a hammer against a workpiece. The Hammering Man has stood by the Messeturm since 1991 and every morning greets the working population pouring into the city center by car or tram. If the engine fails, the city often gets calls from troubled people who miss the morning banging. The man stands for the industry that has shaped working life in Frankfurt for centuries, even if it has long since been replaced by the service sector. According to the artist, it should also be a symbol that people need a head and hand to create values. And it connects working people all over the world, because there are similar sculptures in Basel, Seoul, Los Angeles and Seattle, for example.
A figure modeled after the Hammering Man stands on Hülya-Platz in Frankfurt-Bockenheim. It is reminiscent of the 9-year-old Hülya Genc, who was killed in a right-wing terrorist arson attack in Solingen in 1993. The figure smashes a swastika. It was subjected to multiple destruction and is repeatedly repaired by the citizens of Bockenheim.
From the end of the tram stop, standing in the green area, look to the left at the ultra-modern Frankfurt exhibition center. On the right is the 257 meter high exhibition tower, designed by the architect Helmut Jahn (Chicago), which would be worth a tour of its own. In between, a small turret of the old exhibition building peeps into the sky. How has Frankfurt's trading center changed since the middle of the 12th century, when the first trade fairs were allowed to be held on the basis of imperial decrees!

The Hammering Man is a work of art by American artist Jonathan Borofsky in various cities around the world. It represents the moving silhouette of a worker moving a hammer against a symbolic workpiece. The movement of the hammer itself is motor-driven, so there is no rapid hammering action, but the hammer is moved against the workpiece just as slowly as it is lifted.
The work of art is considered a symbol of work, deed and also a symbol of solidarity with all people who work. The sculpture is in different versions in some major cities of the world.
Each of the sculptures is different in height and has a different number on the back leg