Roaring Rosemeyer

Our historic sculpture shows Bernd Rosemeyer driving the powerful Auto Union "Silver Arrows" in the late 1930s before his tragic death attempting a speed record.
On the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn, just beyond the Langen-Morfelden crossing and set back amongst the trees stands a monument to the great Rosemeyer. Originally from Lingen, Lower Saxony, his career, like many other drivers of the period, began in motorcycles.

A revolutionary new Grand Prix car was being built by the Auto Union group under the direction of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. These new cars featured 16-cylinder engines installed at the rear with all independent suspension and aerodynamic bodies. Hearing of this new development Rosemeyer naturally felt that he should be the one to drive these new beasts. His first full season saw Rosemeyer blast his way to the top. His greatest victory, the Eifelrennen, occurred at his favourite circuit, the Nurburgring. Beating von Brauchitsch, Caracciola and Nuvolari on a mist-shrouded circuit, driving in conditions that at times approached near - invisibility he became the Nebelmeister- master of the mists. He would go on to win the German, Pescara, Swiss and Italian G.P.s, and was crowned the European Champion. At the Monaco Grand Prix that year he spun on a patch of oil and crashed into a bridge. An ornamental stone vase, loosened by the crash, fell to the ground. Five minutes later he appeared at the pits with the stone vase under his arm. "If I can't win the real cup," he said with a grin, "at least I'll take this home with me."

On January 27, 1938 an attempt on the land speed record on the Frankfurt- Uarmstadt-Heidelberg autobahn ended in disaster. Travelling at over 270 mph a cross- wind caught his Auto Union and caused the car to somersault flinging Rosemeyer to his death. At the scene Rudolf Caracciola said of his great rival "Bernd literally did not know fear".