by Josep Renau in Halle (Saale)
25 April 2023
Murals by the Spanish artist Josep Renau (1907-1982) are among the most outstanding works of built-in building art in the GDR and are preserved in Germany only in Halle (Saale) and Erfurt. Between 2016 and 2019, the Wüstenrot Stiftung was responsible for the restoration and re-installation of the large mosaic "Man's Relationship with Nature and Technology" at Moskauer Platz in Erfurt in accordance with the requirements of a preservation order. In cooperation with the city of Halle (Saale), the Wüstenrot Stiftung has now carried out and significantly financed the elaborate restoration of the mural "Unity of the Working Class and the Founding of the GDR" in Halle-Neustadt from May to December 2022.
The large mosaic, comprising 11,136 tiles, 36 metres high and 7,25 metres wide, was restored by the restoration team already working in Erfurt. All work done has been sensitive to monument protection regulations. Hollow tiles were strengthened or newly laid. Destroyed tiles were replaced true to the original with the help of glaze recipes handed down from generation to generation.
With the handover of the restored mural to the city of Halle (Saale) and its citizens, one of Josep Renau's major works and a central work of architecture-related art of the GDR will be permanently secured for the future.
Ceremonial handover by the city of Halle (Saale) and the Wüstenrot Stiftung:
25 April 2023, start at 14.00 h
Am Stadion 5, 06122 Halle-Neustadt