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Way of Human Rights

Way of Human Rights is a monumental outdoor sculpture in Nuremberg, Germany, opened on 24 October 1993. Located on the street between the old and new buildings of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, it links Kornmarkt street with the medieval city wall. The work was created by Israeli artist Dani Karavan after a 1988 design competition. It includes a gate, 27 round white concrete pillars, two pillars buried in the ground with only a round plate visible, and one columnar oak, making 30 pillars in total. Each pillar is engraved with one article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in German and another language. The monument is part of Nuremberg’s effort to present itself as a city of peace and human rights.

The Way of Human Rights concrete archway with engraved German text, framing a walkway lined with tall concrete pillars.
The Way of Human Rights in Nuremberg, with a concrete archway leading into a row of pillars along the walkway.
April 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Way of Human Rights white concrete pillars lining a paved walkway beside a brick building with a glass roof.
The Way of Human Rights in Nuremberg, shown as a row of white concrete pillars along a sunlit walkway.
July 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Way of Human Rights pillars lining a paved walkway beside modern buildings, with people strolling in sunlight.
The Way of Human Rights lines a walkway beside the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tall pillars of the Way of Human Rights line a walkway beside modern buildings, with people walking through the installation.
The Way of Human Rights installation forms a long walkway lined with engraved pillars near the National Museum.
January 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tall white pillars of the Way of Human Rights stand in front of a stone building with many windows.
The Way of Human Rights pillars stand before a historic stone building in Nuremberg.
April 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleWay of Human Rights
Spanish titleCalle de los Derechos Humanos
TypeLarge-scale outdoor sculpture, memorial, and public artwork
German titleStraße der Menschenrechte
Original-language nameDie Straße der Menschenrechte
Polish titleDroga Praw Człowieka

Creator

ArtistDani Karavan
NationalityIsraeli

Historical context

Historical intentPart of Nuremberg's effort to distance itself from Nazi-era associations and present itself as a city of peace and human rights
RecognitionIn 2001, Nuremberg received the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, with the Way of Human Rights specifically cited
InterpretationIntended as a repudiation of Nazi crimes and a warning that human rights are still being violated around the world
Opened24 October 1993
Selection contextDesign competition related to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum extension and the artistic design of Kartäusergasse street
Design selected1988

Discovery and provenance

Site historyThe site includes remnants of a monastery, the medieval city wall, Sep Ruf buildings from the 1950s and 1960s, and a glass-enclosed entrance designed by ME DI UM in 1993
Associated institutionGermanisches Nationalmuseum

Location and ownership

LocationKartäusergasse, Nuremberg, Germany
SiteBetween Kornmarkt and Frauentormauer, between the new and old buildings of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, along the full length of Kartäusergasse
OrientationA straight-line ensemble placed between a symbolic north gate and a south gate echoing the medieval city gate
Related institutionHuman Rights Office in Nuremberg

Physical characteristics

Pillar diameter80 cm
Spacing5.7 m apart
Tree1 columnar oak
Buried pillars2 pillars are buried in the ground, with only slabs visible at sidewalk level
Number of pillars29 concrete pillars, of which 2 are buried
Pillar height8 m
Pillar shapeRound
Central elements27 round concrete pillars, 2 buried pillars visible only as round plates at sidewalk level, and 1 columnar oak
North gateFree-standing wall of white exposed concrete, 16 m wide and 8 m high, serving as a symbolic gate and echoing a medieval city gate
Overall length170 m

Materials

MaterialWhite concrete, concrete, and oak

Technique

LayoutStraight line of elements leading from the entrance gate

Iconography and meaning

Symbolic meaningAffirms human rights as universal for all peoples and cultures
Symbolic meaning of treeThe oak tree symbolizes the remaining languages
Exception to inscriptionsArticle 21 is inscribed on a plaque embedded in the wall of a building behind the oak tree
Languages represented30 languages, including Yiddish, Quechua, Spanish, and languages from Europe, Africa, and Asia
InscriptionEach of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is inscribed in German and one other language

Significance

Public useSchoolchildren visit periodically to learn about the history of human rights and their current reality around the world
Activism useUsed by alternative groups and movements to show examples of human rights violations and demand respect for them
Award siteThe Nuremberg International Human Rights Award is awarded on the site every two years
Nearby eventA biannual 'Lunch for Peace' is held nearby at Hallplatz to honor the award recipient

History and restoration

Inauguration attendeesFederico Mayor Zaragoza, Danielle Mitterrand, and Hebe Pastor de Bonafini attended the inauguration
Mayor statementPeter Schönlein said that from this city there should now be only signs of peace, reconciliation, and understanding among peoples
Award initiativeThe city of Nuremberg's initiative to award the International Human Rights Award arose as a consequence of the sculpture's construction in 1993
Award startThe Human Rights Office began awarding the International Human Rights Award in 1995, first awarded on 17 September 1995
Award frequencyEvery two years