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Rolling Horse

Rolling Horse is a sculpture designed by Jürgen Goertz and installed on the northern terrace of Berlin Hauptbahnhof at Europaplatz. It is made of stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, and stone, and measures 9.70 meters high, 8.70 meters wide, and weighs 35 tons. The work depicts a horse-like figure that curves into a circular form and is assigned to a wheel segment. Its base incorporates architectural fragments from the former Lehrter Bahnhof, visible through four portholes. After its installation in May 2007, the artwork was publicly criticized by the Berlin Association of Visual Artists as provincial and as being too similar to Goertz’s S-Printing Horse in Heidelberg.

Rolling Horse sculpture beside a modern station with a vaulted glass roof, shown on a wedge-shaped pedestal with round porthole windows.
Rolling Horse by Jürgen Goertz stands outside a modern station in Berlin-Moabit.
May 2018 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rolling Horse sculpture in front of a modern glass building, mounted on a concrete pedestal with round openings.
Rolling Horse stands on a concrete pedestal outside the modern Berlin main station.
January 2018 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rolling Horse sculpture on a pedestal in front of a modern glass and steel building.
The Rolling Horse sculpture stands on a pedestal outside Berlin’s modern station building.
September 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rolling Horse sculpture in front of a modern glass building under a clear blue sky.
Rolling Horse at Berlin Central Station, shown as a large metallic sculpture on a plinth.
June 2007 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Informational plaque for Rolling Horse mounted on a stone-faced pillar, with German and English text and two circular diagrams.
Informational plaque for Rolling Horse at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, shown on a stone-faced pillar.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleRolling Horse
TypeSculpture

Creator

ArtistJürgen Goertz
Ukrainian name translation"horse that rolls"

Location and ownership

LocationNorthern terrace of Berlin Hauptbahnhof at Europaplatz, Berlin, Germany

History and restoration

Installation dateMay 2007
Commissioning executiveHartmut Mehdorn, chairman of the board at the time the commission was awarded
Commissioned byHeidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and Deutsche Bahn

Materials

MaterialsStainless steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, and stone

Physical characteristics

Weight35 tons
Width8.70 meters
Height9.70 meters

Appearance

Depicted subjectHorse-like figure
Visual compositionThe horse-like figure curves into a circle and forms part of a wheel segment
Pedestal contentsArchitectural fragments from the former Lehrter Bahnhof integrated into the pedestal
Viewing featureThe integrated architectural fragments can be seen through four portholes

Significance

Public criticismCriticized by the Berlin Association of Visual Artists after its erection in May 2007 for being provincial and too similar to Goertz's S-Printing Horse
Comparison sculptureS-Printing Horse in Heidelberg, between a building of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and the main railway station