Removal of the devils sculpture in Esslingen's town hall square

Why should other people support this petition?
Why is this demand important to you and to others?

WHY THE STATUE IS PROBLEMATIC

The installation has met with widespread incomprehension among Esslingen residents. Many are expressing their deep dissatisfaction on social media:

Religious concerns:
"Christian country, mind you... I'd rather see a statue of Jesus." (4,184+) Supporters agree with this criticism.

Lack of representation:
"Instead of honoring the heroine, they put the devil in front of her...", "We now literally have the devil in our city – and we even brought him back ourselves."

Cost issue:
"How can you spend 200k on a devil in this day and age? Instead of donating it to shops, children, local homes or poor people."

Attention at any price:
But why does the sculpture depict the devil instead of the woman? The artist, Tim Bengel, stated publicly, "It's simply the more impactful symbol, and we live in the age of Instagram with its limited attention spans."

The problem: The statue does NOT depict the market woman (the heroine of the Esslingen legend), but exclusively the defeated devil – in an enlarged, dominant representation in a central square.

OUR DEMANDS

We call upon the city of Esslingen am Neckar to:

Remove the devil statue from the town hall square – this central square belongs to all citizens, not to a controversial individual interpretation.
Install a new sculpture of the market woman – the true heroine of the Esslingen legend deserves her own monument, representing all segments of the population.
Transparent procedure for art in public spaces – Future installations must be discussed extensively with the population before implementation.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

A country with a Christian heritage, a Christmas market city center, families with children – the golden devil figure sends signals that many Esslingen residents cannot connect with their identity.

Art is allowed to provoke – but in a central square it should not exclude or offend anyone.

Sign our petition and help ensure that the voice of the citizens is heard!