Hahn im Korb / Rooster in a Basket

On Pulheim Marktplatz you will find Heinrich Brummack’s unusual work Rooster in a Basket. The colorfully painted metal rooster is perched snugly and proudly in its gilded container atop a marble column. Such a lofty and reverent monument would otherwise typically be reserved for a ruler or even a deserving citizen. And why a rooster? It’s an ironic commentary on the tradition of monuments from a sculptor whose collected works include a statue of a hare fishing (Osnabrück) and one of a children’s toy (Ibbenbüren).
Whether it be on the farm or for sale in a basket, roosters are typically surrounded by a flock of chickens. As such, the rooster took on an idiomatic meaning in the German language, signifying a man who enjoys a special position amidst many women. In this way, Heinrich Brummack makes an enigmatic comment on the tradition of personal statues, while also creating a humorous monument to a pointed linguistic joke.