Art in the East

The child on the sofa appears tiny. Carefully, she slides down, plants her feet on the ground and stands upright. Her blond head barely reaches the sofa's seat. This massive settee, a popular playing ground for children of all ages, is in fact a huge sandstone sculpture by artist Gerd Büttner and is just one of the 60 impressive sculptures and statues in Hohenschönhausen, which can make a walk through this eastern district of Berlin an unforgettable experience.

For many drivers who commute across the east of Berlin, Hohenschönhausen is just another of those districts that are mainly composed of skyscraper-high blocks of flats, wide roads and the numerous grey, flat buildings known as Dienstleistungswürfel: ex-GDR community centres. However, this district has a lot more to offer. Hohenschönhausen does not only sport those high-rises, but also a forest and a small lake. Between the apartment blocks, green spaces bordered by flower beds offer specks of colour. Here, the district's elderly inhabitants meet for a chat, while children shout in the neighbouring playgrounds. Some of the figures at Hohenschönhausen's favourite meeting places are of a more artistic nature, though, and can be found throughout the district.

In the eighties, Pablo Picasso Strasse in Hohenschönhausen was just another busy road in a new district erected by the GDR government. But in 1989, this dreary area saw a major change - in the form of a house. Artist Jo Jastram called his sculpture "Screaming Stallion", a massive bronze animal with outstretched neck and bared teeth. Not everyone in Hohenschönhausen was pleased with the new pet, which was a combined effort of Howgowe - the district's housing corporation - and the local council. The horse became and remains a controversial subject, representing a frightened beast for some and a proud, brave stallion for others.

Since the district was founded, five years before the wall came down, around 60 sculptures have been put up. Primarily, they were to brighten up the monotony of the many high-rise blocks which, like those in Hellersdorf and Marzahn, have become a symbol of these eastern districts. The works of art were also supposed to function as places for people to socialise. This strategy was continued in the years after the collapse of communism. The most recent addition is Achim Kühn's "Four Seasons" in Zingster Strasse, four tall steel constructions which turn and twist in the wind.

Some of the works come from countries as far away as Japan, such as Mirko Siakkou's "The Juggler" in Malchower Park. Other sculptures were made by unknown artists. "Children's Hands" in Hagenauer Ring consists of the hand prints of numerous local children. But not all the marks left behind by the district's youngsters are so artistic. Vandalism is rife, and some of the statues have already been removed for repair.

Hohenschönhausen's works of art are not only fascinating to look at. They also symbolise the history of this former East German district which used to be an obscure village on the fringe of the capital. A pair of metal storks placed in the rural neighbourhood of Wartenburg may not be able to flap their wings. But on a clear summer day, when a real stork glides over the remaining village houses near the apartment blocks, those country days seem not so far away.