What kind of strange building is this? Hmm, red-fired bricks, spirally walled up, but they are apparently not quite finished yet. And there are also numbers to see. . .
Well, what could that be? Oh, you know what, I will just tell you!
Here on the riverbanks of the Ellern pond, exactly 1000 red bricks were built by Rasteder artists. And it was about the following: The year 2009 was a great anniversary for Rastede — the old St. Ulrichs Church and, therefore, the village of Rastede both celebrated their 950th anniversary. The arcade spiral refers to this in many ways. 950 stones are marked with years; the other 50 stones represent the flow of time before or after. Some of the figures are clearly highlighted because this data has been of particular importance to Rastede. For example, the year 1059 stands for the consecration of St. Ulrichs Church, and the year 1091 for the foundation of the salient Rasteder Benedictine monastery, on whose foundation walls the castle of the Grand Dukes is located today. The year 1867 was equally significant when Rastede was connected to the network of the Grand-Ducal-Oldenburg Railway, which began a completely new era.
Furthermore, the bricks refer to the monks of the Rasteder Monastery, which was particularly important as a home monastery of the Counts of Oldenburg. The monastic orders of the Middle Ages were also considered excellent builders. It is no coincidence that the common brick size in those days was indicated as the “monastic format”. Symbolising the ups and downs of the passage of time, the stones form a walkable circle. With a view of the Ellern pond at one of its most beautiful spots, the Arcade Spiral invites visitors to reflect on a history spanning almost a thousand years.