Request for proposals--Outdoor sculpture

The City of New Ulm, Minnesota is the owner of a memorial dedicated
to Hermann the Cheruscan, and has undertaken a phased conservation
treatment project addressing the two primary elements of the
memorial: the base and the sculpture. The base of the memorial has
been completed at the cost of approximately $1 million. The City is
now in a position to begin the next phase of the project--treatment
of the sculpture. The sculpture is a 33 foot high replica of
Hermann, a Germanic leader who lived at the time of Christ. It is
constructed of riveted and soldered sheet copper over an armature of
pipe and steel beams. It was designed by Julius Berndt and
constructed by the W.H. Mullins Co. of Salem, Ohio with Berndt
overseeing the construction. Design was completed in 1885, and the
sculpture was completed and shipped to New Ulm in 1889 where it was
stored until the monument base was completed. The completed
memorial, dedicated in 1897, consists of a granite and limestone
base and the sculpture, rising 102 feet above the ground.

The sculpture has been damaged by natural causes and vandalism
throughout the years. In 1998, a major windstorm with 100 mph
straight-line winds caused damage. This event, combined with
previous attempts to deal with upkeep and repair issues, prompted
the City to begin a comprehensive approach to preserving the
memorial. As mentioned above, the base of the memorial has been
completed, and now, the statue has been removed from the top of the
base to begin the sculpture treatment. The sculpture has been
photographed and documented. The City has a preliminary assessment
of the sculpture performed by a local artist and artisan. A
registered structural engineer has completed a study of the
sculpture to evaluate the internal support system and provide
recommendations for remedial work that may be required.

A copy of "Request For Proposals" regarding the conservation
treatment of the Hermann sculpture may be obtained by contacting

    Tom MacAulay
    Assistant City Manager
    City of New Ulm
    100 North Broadway
    New Ulm MN 56073
    507-359-8303
    thomas.macaulay [at] ci__new-ulm__mn__us

Proposals will be accepted up to and including May 7, 2004


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:59
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 16, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-59-030
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