The Round Table in Puschkinstraße is one of many steel sculptures in public spaces in Schwerin that emerged from the workshops of the Metal Sculpture Symposiums. These metal sculpture meetings originated in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), two years before the political upheaval. The second sculpture symposium in 1990 was the first all-German meeting, where artist Guillermo Steinbrüggen participated. He created the Round Table, which was later purchased by the state capital of Schwerin. From 1990 to 1995, the sculpture found its first home in the market square.
Steinbrüggen's Round Table was created during a period of transition and new beginnings. The GDR still formally existed, although reunification in October 1990 was imminent. Probably no other monument to the political upheaval in the Federal Republic of Germany can look back on such an interesting history of origin. Monuments are usually created from a perspective of reflection, to cultivate remembrance and memory. Rarely are they a result of current events. Schwerin's Round Table is one of those rare pieces. Initially, the people of Schwerin struggled with this structure made of rusty steel and fieldstones. The Round Table remained controversial at first, partly because the artwork was considered unfinished due to the ongoing design process, and its final location had not yet been decided. There were discussions at one point about placing the Round Table in front of the courthouse on Demmlerplatz. However, this sparked protests from the artist. In the summer of 1995, the sculpture was relocated to the corner of Puschkinstraße and Großer Moor. For this final location, the artist completed the work, especially through a color scheme, which was renewed in 2019.
The Round Table is a symbol of the contemporary historical significance of the period of change and political reorientation in 1989 and 1990, when citizen movements and other societal forces in the GDR publicly influenced the state apparatus. The artwork serves as a reminder of the time of upheaval and political reorientation.
Guillermo SteinbrüggenGuillermo Steinbrüggen wurde 1952 in Vigo, Spanien, geboren. Nachdem er mit 13 nach Koblenz kam und mit 20 ein Werftpraktikum in Hamburg absolvierte, studierte er 1974 bis 1979 Bildhauerei an der Hochschule für Künste in Berlin und schloss als Meisterschüler ab. Schon vor seinem Abschluss, genauer seit 1976, war er unter anderem mit Ausstellungen in Berlin, Vigo, Barcelona und Sevilla beschäftigt und beteiligte sich an Bildhauersymposien. Auch danach lebte und arbeitete er wechselseitig in Spanien und Deutschland, wo er seine praktischen Kenntnisse der Bühnenbildnerei und Bildhauerei in Granit und Stahl ausbaute. 1985 zog er ganz nach Lübeck, etablierte dort sein Atelier für Bildhauerei und startete mit verschiedenen kunstpädagogischen Aktionen. Seit 1989 schuf er viele Arbeiten im öffentlichen Raum, mehrheitlich in Lübeck, Reinfeld und Kiel. Seit 2017 ist er mit verschiedenen kunstpädagogischen Projekten in Norddeutschland aktiv. Guillermo Steinbrüggen lebt und arbeitet nach wie vor in Lübeck.
