Tauzieher, Limestone sculpture in Rheinauhafen, Cologne, Germany

Tauzieher is a limestone sculpture by Nikolaus Friedrich, erected in 1911 in the Rheinauhafen. It shows a naked, muscular man who has climbed onto a bollard rising from rough rock, leaning forward to haul a heavy hawser up and make it fast. The work is about 6.5 metres tall, with the base taking up a little more than half.

Sculptor Nikolaus Friedrich created this work in 1911 as Cologne's first free-standing public sculpture. The monument later gained protected status, reflecting the city's recognition of its workers' importance to its past.

A poem published in September 1911 addressed the contradiction of a naked rope puller: it carried the message that anyone willing to work could earn prosperity. The figure hauls a hawser onto a bollard, a task of dock labourers at the timber market and harbour beside it.

The harbor is easily accessible by public transportation, and the raised base ensures clear views from multiple angles. Visit during daylight to see the bronze details most clearly.

The figure received protected monument status in 1980, making it among Cologne's first officially safeguarded works. This early recognition shows how the working world was valued as part of the city's identity.