The bronze statue on the western side of the Town Hall, near its entrance, is undoubtedly the most famous and most photographed representation of Die Stadtmusikanten (The Town Musicians), which portrays the donkey, dog, cat and rooster of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. The donkey's front legs are shinier than the rest of the statue, as rubbing them is thought to bring good luck. The statue was commissioned by the Verkehrsverein der Freien Hansestadt Bremen e.V. and created by Gerhard Marcks (1889-1981), being installed in 1953, initially on loan from Marcks' workshop. Dr Hanns Meyer, head of the tourism organisation, appealed to Bremen's community spirit and collected donations to make the animals' home permanent. Aided by a loan from the city, the pyramid of animals standing one on top of the other was purchased for 20,000 deutschmarks.
About the stamp
The stamp, issued on 2013, commemorates 50 years of the Fehmarn Sound Bridge, which connects the island of Fehmarn with mainland Germany.
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