Man, the Measure of All Things

The works of the painter Walter Womacka (1925-2010) were already being commissioned, exhibited and collected on an international scale during the GDR era. Womacka, who is regarded as the most frequently reproduced visual artist of the GDR, also gained media attention and presence with his architectural works. Until 2010, Womacka's "Man, the Measure of All Things" ("Der Mensch, das Maß aller Dinge") could be seen on the now demolished building of the GDR's Ministry of Construction. The work, which is 6 x 15 metres in size and consists of 360 enamelled copper sheets, was restored to the cityscape in 2013 and can be viewed here, not far from its original location. Much more famous still are Womacka's "Our Life" ("Unser Leben") -a 875 m² mosaic frieze which encircles the House of the Teacher (Haus des Lehrers) near Alexanderplatz and which is regarded as the largest frieze in Europe and the "Fountain of Friendship between Peoples" ("Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft") at Alexanderplatz. Vis-à-vis the House of the Teacher a monument to modernity and a unique symbiosis between Womacka's work and the architecture of Hermann Henselmann - there is also a copper relief by Womacka located on the House of Travel (Haus des Reisens).