Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Cristo Redentor ( Christ the Redeemer German ) is a monument in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil ) on the Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca forest in the southern part of the city.
The construction of the Christ statue was originally planned to mark the centennial independence of Brazil (1822 Declaration of Independence, in 1825 recognized by Portugal). The designs were created by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa engineer. The construction of the statue began in 1922, funding problems delayed the construction but almost ten years before by the support of the Archdiocese Rios, the Vatican and France finally could take place the inauguration on 12 October 1931.
The statue is kept in the Art Deco style. It is 30 meters high and rests on an 8 meter high pedestal. She was from 1931 to 1981 the highest statue of Christ in the world. She is currently the fifth highest figure of Christ. In the base chapel for 150 people housed. The span of the arms is 28 meters, the total weight of the statue is 1145 tons. The head and hands were made from plaster models, the French sculptor Paul Landowski the had made in his studio near Paris. Building material is reinforced concrete, which is covered with a mosaic of soapstone. The statue overlooks the Sugar Loaf.
1959, south of Lisbon, the 28- m slightly smaller statue of Cristo Rei dedicated the statue in Rio de Janeiro served as inspiration for the.
On 7 December 1999 at 7:00 local time clock of the Austrian base jumper Felix Baumgartner jumped from the right arm of the statue made from the parachute. Previously, he had climbed to over a shot with a crossbow rope. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the statue of Christ in 2006 and was ordained a Catholic place of pilgrimage. On 7 July 2007 it was announced in Lisbon that the Cristo Redentor was named one of the " New Seven Wonders of the World ". According to the organizers, almost 70 million votes were cast. However, the UNESCO distanced itself from this election of the new seven wonders of the world.
In April 2010, the statue by unknown assailants has been defaced with graffiti. It was the first blemish of its kind in the 80 -year history of the statue. The graffiti were removed immediately.
The statue is repeatedly damaged by storms, so she lost, for example, in January 2014 lightning strikes a portion of the right middle finger. After inspection of the damage was repaired and specialists attached to the statue a new lightning rod.
The future of the statue and its eventual collapse after a fictitious disappearance of mankind is treated in one episode of the second season of the docu-fiction series Life After People ( " The Wrath of God", USA 2010).