Heroischer Rhythmus IX

Heroischer Rhythmus IX stands at the southern end of Stefan Meier Straße in Freiburg im Breisgau, near the railway station axis. Berto Lardera shaped this abstract steel sculpture in the mid-twentieth century. Its angular forms catch changing light and cast sharp shadows across the industrial surface. The work brings modern geometry into view beside Freiburg’s busy urban surroundings.

In 1969, the sculpture stood in the courtyard of Kollegiengebäude III, where it contrasted with historic academic architecture. Urban development removed it from that setting in 2010, and storage followed until 2019. Since then, the southern end of Stefan Meier Straße has placed the artwork in a more visible public setting. That move changed the relationship between the steel forms and their original university context.

Lardera’s use of steel gives the sculpture a direct connection with industrial materials and abstract movement. From a passing glance, its structure still offers shifting planes, bright reflections and deep shadows.