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“Man Emerging from Confinement II” will be relocated to the Erich-Ollenhauer-Promenade
With the sculpture "Man Emerging from Confinement II," a significant work by the sculptor Waldemar Otto has returned to the public space of the science city of Darmstadt. The approximately three-meter-high bronze sculpture has been installed on a green space along the Erich-Ollenhauer-Promenade, west of Pützerstraße, and will now complement the existing collection of figurative art in the city. The official unveiling took place on Friday, February 6, 2026, in the presence of Mayor and Head of Cultural Affairs Hanno Benz, as well as members of the artist's family.
“The return of this sculpture to public space not only honors a significant artist, but also his close connection to the city of Darmstadt,” explained Mayor Benz. The work symbolizes new beginnings, human development, and the power of art in urban spaces. The sculpture has been positioned so that the figure's gaze points towards the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt.
A significant work in Darmstadt's art history
The sculpture, created between 1971 and 1972, measures 300 x 165 x 69 centimeters. A larger-than-life human figure appears between two diagonally positioned steel walls, each approximately three meters high. The hands protrude from the wall surfaces, as if the figure were trying to break free from a confining space. The angled walls create a sense of oppressive spatial depth.
Waldemar Otto, a member of the Darmstadt Secession since 1973, created the work in four slightly varying versions. It belongs to the series "Figures Between Walls," which explores the tension between the individual and space, as well as between the individual and the social structure.
Dr. Philipp Gutbrod, cultural affairs officer of the city of Darmstadt and director of the Mathildenhöhe Institute Darmstadt, described the sculpture as an important testament to Darmstadt's art history. Its reinstallation will complement the existing program of figurative art, extending from the city center along the Erich-Ollenhauer-Promenade and the Mathildenhöhe to the Rosenhöhe.
Return from the depot
Following a 1979 exhibition at the Kunsthalle Darmstadt, the sculpture was placed in front of the building as a gift from the artist. Later, it was dismantled and stored in the basement. Thanks to the efforts of Annemarie Pötzelberger and Horst Dieter Bürkle, its reinstallation in a public space was successfully pursued.
Following consultation with the city's art commission, the Kunsthalle Darmstadt, or rather the Darmstadt Art Association, transferred the artwork to the municipal art collection. Before its reinstallation, the sculpture was examined and restored by the Mathildenhöhe Institute in Darmstadt. The restoration was carried out by certified conservator Götz M. Bormuth in consultation with conservator Gitta Hamm.
The costs for restoration and installation amount to approximately 25,000 euros. Of this, 15,600 euros were covered by the Sparkasse Darmstadt.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/dk/stip)
Featured image: Science City of Darmstadt
