basic concept: „Stones without Borders“  -  and: "Otto Freundlich"           
 

„Steine ohne Grenzen“ - „Stones without Borders":

The projects' background is the idea of Otto Freundlich, to connect the cultural centers of West and East, Paris and Moscow, by a sculpture-way, a way against intolerance and xenophobia, for peace and humanity. The idea is a result of his own experience in the between-war-period in Europe.

The existing "Skulpturenlinien" - "Sculpture Lines" in Berlin and Brandenburg present a broadly based view to international contemporary sculptors' work. Until now, more than 100 sculptors from 25 nations have participated. Otto Freundlichs' conception is dominating, not the touristical improvement of a region or a city-centre.
According to the conception of the initiators, Rudolf J. Kaltenbach und Silvia Christine Fohrer, the "Skulpturenlinien" will be continued in further European countries. In Krastal/Austria and in Ostrava/Czech Republic, according activities did take place already.

Otto Freundlich
– Painter and Sculptor –
born 1878 in Stolp, murdered 1943 in Majdanek

Nowadays you'll find works of Otto Freundlich in most mueums . This can't be taken for granted , because for a long time this important artist wasn't even percipienced, especially in Germany. In Nazi-Germany he, as a Jew, was persecuted. One of his sculptures, called "The new man" was printed as cover of the exhibitions' catalogue to "Entartete Kunst" ("Degenerated Art").He was murdered in KZ Majdanek.

At the beginning of 20th century Otto Freundlich, together with some well known vanguard artists in Berlin and Paris, was searching for new ways of enunciating.

Otto Freundlich, Ascension,
Bronzeguss 1929, Münster 

He was a friend of Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani Gris and Braques. He didn't join a artists' group but chose his own singular way. In practicing and in theorethical essays he developed a new understanding for the expression of art. He wanted to introduce art into common social life.
Even in 1942, in the deportation camp of St. Paul-de-Fenouillet, he wrote: "The work of the artist is a sum of constructiv acts. The culture of an artist was and is the same always: to prepare for the future". And " ... Art pursues the Universal. Separating abolishes her. Art openes for men a specific dimension: imagination."