The Fab Four Of The Brooks Bridge Of Hamburg

Something we saw in Hamburg on our recent return from the Mecklenburger Seenplatte:

The Fab 4 of Brooks Bridge

The Brooks Bridge of Hamburg (Brooksbrücke) leading into the Speicherstadt is adorned by four statues, one at each of its corners. These statues represent a rather eclectic mix of characters who were all chosen to be honoured in this way, presumably, because they have some sort of connection to the city.

The Brooks Bridge of Hamburg (Brooksbrücke) leading into the Speicherstadt is adorned by four statues, one at each of its corners. These statues represent a rather eclectic mix of characters who were all chosen to be honoured in this way, presumably, because they have some sort of connection to the city.

There is Emperor Frederic Barbarossa, the great medieval warrior king (who may or may not have signed the document that gave Hamburg the rights of a free city – his signature was probably forged by the town’s then mayor – but who certainly never set foot in the place).

The entirely allegorical Hammonia – who was, quite frankly, more or less invented for the sole purpose of enabling Hamburg to erect a statue in honour of itself.

 St Ansgar, (the 9th century “Apostle of the North”),

Europa from Greek mythology (who never went further to the North than Crete, if I remember this right).

Be that as it may: I find this collection of celebrities less than impressive for a city of Hamburg’s size. Could they really not have come up with a better foursome?

I mean, Kevin Keegan played some of his best football here, winning the European Player of the Year trophy twice. Isn’t that worth something?

Didn’t Marlene Dietrich sing on the Reeperbahn?

And will the global cuisine not forever be in debt to Hamburg’s most famous citizen of them all, the “hamburger”? (I’d love to see a statue for that one, I really would.)

And what about the most famous ever human residents of Hamburg, the original Fab Four? Does this bridge with its four corners – one for every Beatle – not provide a golden opportunity of paying homage to this Golden Age in the city’s history? Shouldn’t the city fathers have thought of that?

But then again, maybe they have, and we just did not notice. Isn’t there, if you look at it properly, a certain likeness between Barbarossa and John Lennon, the bearded version of the bard from the Imagine period?

Or am I, well, imagining this, and the sculptor just caught the Emperor on a bad crown day?

This is our contrubution to Nancie’s Travel Photo Thursday carnival. Get over to her site to see more travel photos.