The key

The work of Louis Perrin, a Mulhouse artist, was installed in 1989 as part of the pedestrianisation of the area. It is for this door of the past that he created this 4 m long bronze key, planted in the ground «like King Arthur’s sword». Louis Perrin said: «The Bollwerk Tower I see it as a unique object. I know that it was not a gateway to Mulhouse, but as it is the only visible part of the old ramparts ... For me, it’s the key to the city, so it must be a big key, and it’s as if it had been thrown there». Over time, the work has been well received by the inhabitants and today it is a very lively object, where children climb on it and where the first tags appeared. For the artist, this proves that the work is now «part of the walls».