Who is He?

Yesterday, after too many days of challenging the clouds, the sun had a win. More of a compromise actually. The skies remained mainly cloud covered but the sun did make a short appearance. So, we along with most of Hamburg headed out to celebrate the sighting. We drove past this statue in Wedel, then added him to the who is he list. Wedel is another city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein where we are still allowed to travel. It is only about 11 miles west of Hamburg on the River Elbe.

Now we know that Roland is an iconic eighth-century knight. This Roland statue stands proudly in the town marketplace symbolizing freedom and justice? In the epic 11th-century French poem Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland) based on Charlemagne's Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778,  Roland is the hero after losing his life. He has become a popular figure in many other parts of Germany and other countries as well. The first Roland statue was most likely a simple wooden one erected in 1450. It is believed that the Roland now standing was commissioned by Count Otto IV in 1558.  

With the current state of affairs in the US Roland holds a strong message.

Roland is another man who became a hero after traveling through Basque lands with Charlemagne the founder of the HOLY Roman empire, killing, plundering, looting, and pillaging. How do these men ever rise to hero status?