On 28 November, the sculptural installation “Bergmann” was inaugurated on Lausitzer Platz. The new artwork commemorates the formative role of the region’s mining and energy workers and at the same time marks the ongoing structural transformation in Hoyerswerda and the wider Lusatia region.
The idea of creating a series of artistically designed SkulpTOUR benches has accompanied the city for several years. Initial impulses came from the marketing association HOY e. V., which realised the first bench on the KRABAT/Schadowitz theme in 2023. The theme of mining and energy work was part of the concept from the very beginning.
Funding from the federal programme “Zukunftsfähige Innenstädte und Zentren” (Future-Ready Town Centres and City Centres) made it possible to realise the project. The total cost amounts to 90,000 euros, with 90 percent funded through the ZIZ programme and 10 percent contributed by the city.
In 2024, a working group of municipal administration, cultural institutions, regional artists and contemporary witnesses was formed to guide the process. Based on a recommendation from the Saxon Association of Visual Artists, a limited art competition followed. The design “Bergmann” by Berlin-based artist Ubbo Enninga convinced the expert jury in all evaluation categories and was unanimously selected.
The installation consists of two components: a life-sized bronze figure of a miner and a granite bench shaped like an oversized briquette, which can be used as seating. The miner has taken off his work boots, gestures towards the briquette and looks into the future with an open, questioning expression. This artistic gesture honors the achievements of the past while making visible the transition that defines Lusatia today.
With this new installation, Hoyerswerda gains a distinctive artistic landmark that makes local history tangible and accompanies the city on its path of transformation.
Our tomorrow is shaped by the actions we take today and by the way we engage with our past.
