Fuente: © German Federal Gouvernment
http://www.bundesregierung.de/

A symbol of peace

/noticias.info/ - Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recently unveiled a new sculpture in the Chancellery Park, "Non-Violence" by Swedish sculptor Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The artist donated this work as an expression of his recognition of the role the German government has played in efforts to bring about and preserve peace.


The bronze sculpture, which Reuterswärd created in 1980 in reaction to the violent death of John Lennon, is an oversized pistol with the barrel knotted and the muzzle pointing skywards. Installed in front of the United Nations Building in New York since 1988, the sculpture has become a widely known symbol of peace and non-violence.


"Non-Violence" - a symbol and a warning at the same time

Speaking to an audience of around two hundred invited guests in the Chancellery Park on August 21, Chancellor Schröder thanked the Swedish artist for the sculpture, calling it "an eloquent symbol of peace". He said it was a clear statement against violence and war as well as for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

In a further speech, writer and Nobel Prize laureate Günter Grass urged continued support for peace and non-violence. He alluded to the ambiguity of the sculpture, noting that "Non-Violence" is both a symbol and a warning.


Non-violence as a mission and artistic program

There are eleven copies of the sculpture in existence. A copy was recently installed in Caen, the first French city to be liberated by the Allies in 1944. The Berlin copy has been placed in the Chancellery Park so that it can be easily seen by the general public.

Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd was born in Stockholm in 1934. Since 1965 he has taught at the Art Academy in Stockholm. Reuterswärd's commitment to peace and non-violence extends beyond his artistic production. In 1993 he founded what is called the 'Non-Violence Project' which addresses young people primarily and supports them in their opposition to violence. notas_de_prensa_archivo