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Origin and history

The Schweissdissi – an Alsatian nickname meaning "the type that sweats" – is an iron statue designed in 1905 by the Austrian sculptor Frantz Beer in Florence, then melted in Pistoia, Italy. Originally commissioned by the Swiss railways for the Simplon tunnel, it was rejected before being acquired by the socialist municipality of Mulhouse. Inaugurated in 1906 on the Place de la Réunion, it overcame a fountain between the Temple Saint-Étienne and the town hall, symbolizing the hard work in this German industrial city. Its realism, particularly partial nudity, caused a scandal: after unsuccessful attempts at rotation, it was moved in 1909 to the park of Tivoli, its buttocks hidden by hedges.

During the Second World War, the statue escaped Nazi destruction thanks to its material (iron, not bronze), while the occupants requisitioned the metals. It became a local symbol, preserved despite the initial controversies. Classified as a Historical Monument in 2008, it now embodies Mulhouse's industrial and social heritage, as well as the Italian Renaissance sculptural tradition, visible in its contraposto and academic proportions. Its history also reflects the cultural tensions of Alsace, between bourgeois pruderie and homage to the working world.

The Schweissdissi inspired contemporary works, such as Yves Carrey's reinterpretation in 2006 (an unemployed welder of recycled materials), and gave his name to a local brotherhood created in 1976 to preserve the Alsatian dialect and traditions. The statue remains one of the most emblematic monuments of Mulhouse, mixing art, social history and regional identity.

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