Bridge Monkey
by Iryna Goodall
Title
Bridge Monkey
Artist
Iryna Goodall
Medium
Photograph
Description
Bridge Monkey sculpture in Heidelberg, Germany.
According to legend, the bronze monkey with a mirror on Heidelberg’s Old Bridge was meant remind those who crossed it from either side to look over their shoulders at where they’ve come from. Whether a Heidelberg citizen lived inside or outside of the city, it reminded them they were no better than their respective counterpart.
The bridge has featured a monkey at the spot as far back as the 15th century. An earlier incarnation also had the monkey holding a mirror up to passersby, but its other hand was clutching its butt. It disappeared somewhere around the Palatinate War of Succession, which lasted from 1689 to 1693.
A plaque below the monkey features a poem written by the Baroque writer Martin Zeiler in 1632: "Why are you staring at me? Haven’t you seen the old monkey of Heidelberg? Look back and forth. There you will find many more of my own kind."
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December 28th, 2019
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