The Rehmann Museum offers insight into the architectural and artistic work of Erwin Rehmann. The focus of the trip to Bottmingen is on three monumental works created for the Bottmingen cemetery, which establish a profound dialogue between art and landscape.
In 1976, Erwin Rehmann was awarded the commission to design the overall artistic layout of the expansive cemetery in the Baselland municipality of Bottmingen. Designed in collaboration with the Basel architectural firm Löw, Manz & Dörr, Rehmann created a three-part ensemble that architecturally and sculpturally accentuates the dignity of the site:
The Cross Sculpture in the Funeral Chapel
A square relief block (70 x 70 centimeters) made of a violet-black manganese alloy, split open in the shape of a cross. A powerful work that addresses grief, suffering, and the inevitability of tragedy.
Outdoor Structural Sculpture
Situated on a paved plaza surrounded by trees, overlooking the Bottmingen valley floor, this work resembles the trunk of a sequoia that has been sawed off at knee height. Measuring three and a half meters in diameter and weighing three and a half metric tons—cast in manganese bronze using the lost-wax method—the horizontal cross-section reveals a light-colored, porous structure that symbolizes an organic community.
The Wall-Crown Sculpture on the Perimeter Wall
A bronze cross-section sculpture (125 cm wide, 220 cm high, approx. 50 cm deep) set into a frame on the cemetery wall. Although it weighs one and a half metric tons, it appears to float weightlessly—like a face bidding farewell to visitors.
The works in Bottmingen demonstrate Rehmann’s masterful handling of alloys and the deep connection between sculptural form and the landscape.
Wed, October 7, 12:25 p.m., meeting point: SBB Laufenburg AG train station
In 1976, Erwin Rehmann was awarded the commission to design the overall artistic layout of the expansive cemetery in the Baselland municipality of Bottmingen. Designed in collaboration with the Basel architectural firm Löw, Manz & Dörr, Rehmann created a three-part ensemble that architecturally and sculpturally accentuates the dignity of the site:
The Cross Sculpture in the Funeral Chapel
A square relief block (70 x 70 centimeters) made of a violet-black manganese alloy, split open in the shape of a cross. A powerful work that addresses grief, suffering, and the inevitability of tragedy.
Outdoor Structural Sculpture
Situated on a paved plaza surrounded by trees, overlooking the Bottmingen valley floor, this work resembles the trunk of a sequoia that has been sawed off at knee height. Measuring three and a half meters in diameter and weighing three and a half metric tons—cast in manganese bronze using the lost-wax method—the horizontal cross-section reveals a light-colored, porous structure that symbolizes an organic community.
The Wall-Crown Sculpture on the Perimeter Wall
A bronze cross-section sculpture (125 cm wide, 220 cm high, approx. 50 cm deep) set into a frame on the cemetery wall. Although it weighs one and a half metric tons, it appears to float weightlessly—like a face bidding farewell to visitors.
The works in Bottmingen demonstrate Rehmann’s masterful handling of alloys and the deep connection between sculptural form and the landscape.
Wed, October 7, 12:25 p.m., meeting point: SBB Laufenburg AG train station
This text was translated by an AI.
