Sennestadt can be explored through two themes: as a new town planned in the 1950s, and through public art. A sculpture walk offers a way to discover several art locations; at the same time, the story of how the town came about offers a glimpse into the urban planning ideas behind it. This allows you to explore public art and urban planning as distinct, side-by-side perspectives.
A Planned Town
In the early 1950s, Sennestadt was conceived as a planned new town on the former heathland and meadows of Senne II. Its urban design is associated with Prof. Dr. Reichow. Anyone interested in urban planning can start with this historical point of departure: How was a new town envisioned, and what landscape did the plan relate to? The design and the former landscape provide two concrete reference points for viewing Sennestadt.
Sculptures in the Urban Landscape
The sculpture walk focuses on public art in Sennestadt. Locations featuring artworks include Sennestadt Pond, Sennestadt Town Hall, the Sennestadtring Plateau and Reichowplatz. The different stops give the walk a local focus: rather than simply looking at individual works, you can also notice the named squares and locations where public art is present.
The collection also includes works acquired through the “skulptur aktuell” exhibition series between 1983 and 2004. The series brought additional sculptures into the townscape and adds a temporal perspective to the exploration of public art. The walk and the history of the series thus offer two distinct ways in: one through the places where works are located, and the other through the period during which the artworks were acquired.
The printed leaflet for the sculpture walk is out of print; a provisional version is available as a digital guide. If you are planning the walk, you can use it for guidance alongside the individual art locations.
More themes in the wider travel destination of Bielefeld
In the wider travel destination of Bielefeld, the Kunsthalle Bielefeld offers its own focus. The museum of modern and contemporary art opened in 1968, based on designs by American architect Philip Johnson (1906–2005). It presents collection and temporary exhibitions of 20th- and 21st-century art and offers a varied programme of events and educational activities. A museum visit thus offers art and exhibitions alongside the view of public art in Sennestadt.
The Bauernhausmuseum in Bielefeld, which has been in existence since 1917, offers a different historical perspective. It is Westphalia’s oldest open-air museum. Since reopening in 1999, it has presented rural life around 1850, shaped by the natural, economic and political conditions of the time. While the Kunsthalle focuses on 20th- and 21st-century art, the Bauernhausmuseum looks at everyday life in an earlier period and the conditions that shaped it.
The wider travel destination of Bielefeld also offers landscapes and opportunities for getting active. The Hermannsweg is one of Germany’s ten best long-distance hiking trails and runs along the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest, passing directly through Bielefeld city centre, among other places. Sparrenburg Castle offers a different way to explore history: on the one-hour Kasematten tour, visitors learn about more than 750 years of castle history and can explore the 300-metre-long underground passage system. Seasonal opening times may vary; checking the tour dates can help with planning.
View the wider travel overview: Bielefeld.
