The giant Roland statue stands in the middle of the Market Square as symbol of and guarantee for the freedom and independence of the city of Bremen. Roland stares defiantly at the cathedral as a symbolic defense against the influence of the church. This Roland is actually a replica (can’t take chances that the symbol of independence and freedom might be destroyed) – the original is in the city museum.
The inscription on the house in the background reads “Remember the brothers who bear the fate of our separation” and was installed in the 1950s as a memorial for the postwar division of Germany. A lot of people, including me, think it’s outdated not to mention sexist (What of the sisters?), but the city council voted to keep it there.