Schwarzenberg is considered one of the most important mining towns in the Ore Mountains, where tin and iron were primarily mined. At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the American or Soviet Allies did not occupy the town and the surrounding region for 42 days. Schwarzenberg was therefore not part of any occupation zone. The utopian novel "Schwarzenberg" (1984) by Stefan Heym gave rise to the legend of the "Free Republic", which the citizens allegedly proclaimed at the time. This unusual historical episode is still present in the cultural memory of Schwarzenberg's citizens today.
The Iranian-German sculptor Bettina Pousttchi, born in 1971, has taken up the legend of the "Free Republic of Schwarzenberg". For Schwarzenberg, she developed a sculpture made of used steel, in which she juxtaposes 21 bollards to form a group of 42. These symbolise the 42 days in which very different opinions faced each other within the framework of the "Free Republic". Pousttchi is regarded as one of the relevant European sculptors whose work focusses on spatial interventions. She can be seen, for example, in the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn with a large intervention on the roof of the same.
With greetings from:
- Ruben Gehart, Mayor of the large district town of Schwarzenberg
- Representative, City of Chemnitz
- Representative, Free State of Saxony
- Stefan Schmidtke, Managing Director Programme European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH
Introduction:
- Alexander Ochs, Curator of the PURPLE PATH
