Imperia, Concrete statue at harbor entrance in Konstanz, Germany
Imperia is a nine-metre concrete statue of a woman at the harbour entrance of Konstanz, standing on a hexagonal tower base that houses an older water-level gauge station. Her arms are raised, each hand gripping a small naked figure by the leg; the skirt bears the inscription "IMPERIA". A walkway surrounds the base.
Sculptor Peter Lenk created the work as a reference to the Council of Constance, which took place between 1414 and 1418. During this assembly, Martin V was elected pope and the reformer Jan Hus was condemned to death by fire.
The statue draws on Balzac's tale "La Belle Impéria", in which a courtesan outshines the churchmen of the Council of Constance. Lenk's two small figures wear a royal crown and a papal tiara, yet the sculptor insists they are not the pope and the emperor but fools who have put on the insignia of power. Imperia's headdress is a jester's cap with bells.
The sculpture completes one full turn every four minutes and can be easily seen from the harbor. A walk around the base allows you to view the figure from different angles.
Lenk installed the monument secretly in 1993 on private railway company land without asking the city for permission. Authorities discovered the installation only after it was already finished and standing at the harbor.
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