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Tinsmith statue

The Pannenklöpper is probably Olpe’s best-known “citizen”. The statue on the market square recalls the tinsmith trade, which was prominent in the early modern period and brought prosperity and prestige to the town. Originally, “Pannenklöpper” was used as a nickname, but over time it has evolved into a trademark and source of pride for the town.
Due to the deposits of ore in the region, many different blacksmith’s trades existed in Olpe, for example kettle smiths, and armourers. An important one, however, was the tinsmith — otherwise known as “Pannenklöpper”.
The statue, designed by sculptor Karl-Heinz Klein in Düsseldorf, was erected on Olpe’s market square in 1982. Here we can see the tinsmith at work: he is making a pan on his anvil. There are three plaques at the foot of the statue. One shows Olpe’s town seal and Saint Anna, the patron saint of smiths. The other panels portray a tinsmith’s workshop and pans being transported by a carter. The forged wares were transported via the important “Roman Road” and “Iron Road” trade routes which intersected near Olpe, and sold at major fairs, for example, in Frankfurt.

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