If you walk around our region with open eyes, you might discover some pieces by Tobias Messerschmidt in the cityscape.
These artworks were often inspired by regional particularities and personal passions.
Every September, Rossfeld hosts the Sichelhenket, a festival celebrating the end of the traditional harvest season, marking when the sickle is hung up for the winter. The festival features flail beaters demonstrating how grain is threshed from the ears of wheat. Afterwards, the town crier signals that the celebrations may commence. On Sunday, following a thanksgiving service, a pig race takes place on a closed-off track. This tradition is commemorated by a stone at the entrance to Rossfeld.
The Engel Beer Manufacturer is as integral to Crailsheim as a chisel is to a hammer. The company has been based at the site on Haller Street for over 70 years. The brewery's distinct facade immediately catches the eye. Yet, the second glance is often directed at the lifesize beer mug. Crafted from Muschelkalk limestone sourced from the region, the sculpture weighs a total of more than twenty tons.
More than twenty tons of beer are likely to be served at the Engel tent during the festival weekend. The Engel Brewery has been a fixture at the second largest folk festival in Baden-Württemberg for over 100 years with its festival tent. During Crailsheim's 'Fifth Season,' the long weekend draws a total of more than 400,000 visitors every year. As you enter the festival grounds from Schillerstraße, the Stone Pillar greets visitors from the entrance portal. Since 2015, a stone companion stands by its side, assisting it year-round.
For the 2012 UEFA European Championship, massive public viewing events were held in the arena in Ilshofen to watch the German national team's matches. What started as a “crazy idea” grew into a plan to create a stone from shell limestone and steel for the occasion, giving event visitors the chance to leave their mark on the stone using a hammer and chisel. Within just a few days, the idea was brought to life. The stone still stands today on the grounds of the Arena Ilshofen.
Tobias Messerschmidt grew up in Ilshofen, about halfway between Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim. This location made him feel a strong connection to both cities. As a result, he designed a sculpture that symbolizes the bridge between Crailsheim and Schwäbisch Hall. The intertwining figures of the Haller Heller and the Crailsheimer Horaff reflect the innovative industry and economy of our region.
At the entrance to Ilshofen on Hörlebacher Street, there is a stone featuring the town’s coat of arms and the distinctive Ilshofen gate tower.
The gate tower is a testament to Ilshofen's historical connection to Schwäbisch Hall. Built in 1609, it was part of the town's fortifications, most of which were dismantled in 1841, leaving only this structure. This stone was placed with the approval of then-mayor Roland Wurmthaler to commemorate the anniversary of an Ilshofen association.
During the construction of the New Haller Globe Theater from 2016 to 2019, work on the nearby Haller City Wall was also necessary. We take pride in having contributed to the preservation of the beautiful Haller cityscape by restoring the wall.
In 1982, the fourth State Horticultural Show took place in Schwäbisch Hall. The goal back then was to enhance the Kocher Meadows and transform them into a local recreation area as a balance to the densely built old town. As part of a competition for an art project, a limestone with a bronze plaque was created, which can be found at the entrance to the park from the old town. Our region has numerous limestone deposits, which metaphorically form the foundation for the economic success of the area.
In 2022, Tobias Messerschmidt's two children attended the Rappelkiste Kindergarten in Ilshofen. That summer, the kindergarten's summer festival was finally held again after a two-year hiatus. Due to the large number of participants, finding an appropriate venue was challenging. Tobias Messerschmidt generously offered to host the event on his own property. In a warm and friendly gathering, everyone enjoyed a meal together, and the children presented some fantastic highlights. The children had the opportunity to leave their mark on a stone with hammers and chisels under supervision, but they were more inclined to express their creativity with colored pencils on the column. A few weeks later, the column decorated by the children was erected at the kindergarten in Ilshofen.
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