Koenig's Sphere: The German Sculptor Fritz Koenig at Ground Zero (2001)
"Koenigs Kugel - Der deutsche Bildhauer Fritz Koenig im Trümmerfeld von Ground Zero" (original title)

Adlon recounts the making of the sculpture, "Kugelkaryatide" the sphere that stood in the center of Tobin Plaza between the two towers of the World Trade Center. The film follows the ... See full summary »

Director:

Percy Adlon

Stars:

Fritz Koenig, Michael Bloomberg, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Cast

Credited cast:
Fritz Koenig	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bloomberg	...	Himself
Hillary Rodham Clinton	...	Herself
George Pataki	...	Himself

Storyline

Adlon recounts the making of the sculpture, "Kugelkaryatide" the sphere that stood in the center of Tobin Plaza between the two towers of the World Trade Center. The film follows the sculpture from its creation as the largest bronze sculpture of recent times to the aftermath, where it now stands, heavily scarred, in Battery Park.

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Plot Keywords:

sculpture | new york city | thick accent | bavarian | monument | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

English German

Release Date:

15 December 2001 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Koenig's Sphere: The German Sculptor Fritz Koenig at Ground Zero

Filming Locations:

Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

53 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

from sculpture to monument

In this documentary the makers acknowledge that the damaging of the bronze fountain structure by Bavarian sculptor Fritz Koenig, that stood in the Plaza of the World Trade Center, on 9/11 is less important than the people that died that day.

However criticism is still levelled at the Ground Zero workers who nearly destroyed the sculpture by dismantling it and moving it to the JFK airport salvage yard, where the WTC debris was also kept. Koenig waited in vain in New York for the damaged pieces, and had to come back 5 months later when it was decided to reinstall it in Battery Park. Even then, it was not done to his satisfaction.

Whilst director Percy Adlon is empathetic to Koenig's frustration, the most powerful part of the documentary is the footage of Ground Zero filmed in October, the site secured by police and FBI, where the horror of the fallen towers dwarf Koenig and the workers. In the salvage yard we see how debris of the tragedy infest the sphere, something which is not accounted for later.

Aldon also uses slides and photographs to show the creation of the sculpture, shows example of Koenig's earlier work which prefigures the Ground Zero rubble, and we see Hilary Clinton at the opening of the final memorial.