The donkey driver ("Der Eseltreiber") · Helmut Moos

Since December 1978, discussions had been underway about erecting a monument to the donkey drivers in Osterode am Harz, and the location had already been discussed in 1982. In 1983, the Heimat- und Geschichtsverein (Local History and Heritage Society) launched a fundraising campaign for the creation of such a sculpture. By December 1986, the campaign had raised 54,615 German marks.

On April 1, 1987, as an April Fool’s joke, a donkey sculpture made of welded sheet steel was installed next to the Old Town Hall. It had been created by apprentices at the Piller company. Meanwhile, the commissioned artist was already working on the model for the future sculpture.

On June 3, 1988, the group of bronze sculptures created by Helmut Moos was officially unveiled. It consists of a donkey driver holding a bottle of schnapps and a donkey carrying a sack of grain. The inscription on the grain sack reads: “Eseltreiber juck, juck, juck, / hat en kleinen Schluck, Schluck, Schluck” (“Donkey driver, juck, juck, juck, / have a little drink, drink, drink”), based on a story from Lerbach in the Harz region recorded by Heinrich Pröhle.

The figures are arranged so that the donkey appears to be heading past the town hall on the right towards the Grain Magazine, while the donkey driver passes on the left towards Martin Luther Square. A small plaque on a pedestal bears the inscription: “From Osterode, donkey drivers supplied the miners in the Upper Harz with grain.” During the inauguration ceremony, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the victims of the Borken mining disaster.

A sheet-metal sculpture made of stainless steel was later installed in front of the former Donkey Drivers’ Tavern in Freiheit.

Excerpt from: Wikipedia.org "Eseltreiber (Osterode am Harz)"

Location	Am Schilde, Osterode am Harz
Year	1988
Material	Bronze