Hans Kupelwieser
:
Memorial in Hammerpark
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The Hamerpark Memorial was erected during the commemorative year of 1988 that stands as a symbol for the historical breakdown of events and the ensuing paucity of culture and ideas in Austria as a result of what happened in 1938 and is dedicated to the Kirchl-Trattmansdorff resistance group.
The artist Hans Kupelwieser won the public competition with his design for an abstract sculpture. His round, steel basin - standing tall at two meters with a diameter of four meters - resembles an oversized sacrificial bowl and is intended to be experienced physically.
A large opening on the side allows visitors to enter the sulpture and use the interior as a commemorative space. From within, the outside world is only noticeable through the view above of the sky and trees.
Light also enters the bowl through the 13 circular openings located at eyelevel, each of which symbolizes one of the 13 resistance fighters who were killed on April 13, 1945. The event is referenced in the date written on the exterior above the entrance, while on the inside each opening bears the name of one of the victims.
Since individual letters of the names repeatedly became detached and could no longer be reproduced, an alternative solution for their installation was sought. In consultation with Hans Kupelwieser and the metalworking company Stahl & Form, the current design was developed and implemented in the commemorative year of 2025. The names are now engraved on a circumferential brass band.
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