The Plane Grove is filled with many planes. Among them, there are various sculptures and reliefs crafted by Bernhard Hoetger (1874-1949) with different motifs, e.g. avarice and hate. Walking in the shade of the plane tree is very nice on a warm or hot summer day. Additionally, this area is highly popular with Petanque players.
Plane Grove. Picture © Ulrich Mathias (details see imprint)
The entrance to the grove is guarded by a silver lion and a leopard status on columns bearing a sleeping and a waking child: an introduction to the general theme of the grove, representing the circle of life between being born and having to die. Turning left, you will see the enlarged copy of the mural for Paula Modersohn-Becker, a German artist who died due to an embolism at the young age of 31. Four relief groups represent the topics sleep, resurrection, spring and summer. They were originally in color. Another cycle shows the seven female cup bearers and a well with a motto by Goethe, the famous German poet: Des Menschen Seele gleicht dem Wasser; Vom Himmel kommt es und zum Himmel steigt es; und nieder zur Erde muss es ewig wechseln (loosely translated: The human soul is like water: it comes from the heavens and will rise to heaven, and will return down to earth infinitely).