OK.
So I followed up on the sculptures in front of the Gutenberg Museum and actually got a response from one of the academic staff.
We now know that the panels are the work of Karl-Heinz Krause, a Berlin sculptor commissioned with creating gates for the museum and that they date back to the museum’s re-opening in 1962
And it was suggested “that I Google for the rest of the details.”
The “rest of the details” are: the panels were cast in bronze by a fine art foundry in Berlin.
That’s it.
There is NOTHING ELSE of relevance on the interweb. (And people say that I’m a really skilled researcher…)
- A total of 2 hits for a search on “Karl-Heinz Krause” AND “gates” (“tore”, actually) AND “Gutenberg Museum”.
- A total of 18 (with 4 redundancies) for a less stringent search
- The work doesn’t feature in various lists of Mainz’s monuments, fountains and sculptures.
- The artist’s Wikipedia page doesn’t even REFERENCE the work. (Does now…)
- The foundry doesn’t even list the artist as a reference
Which isn’t a big surprise, because on the interweb you can only Google for content that someone has actually made available in a searchable form.
Given that there are only 2 sources for knowledge on this sculpture – the artist and the museum (the former knowing everything, the latter knowing very little) – might it not be a GOOD IDEA to create some content before he drops off the perch?
He’s 86, after all…
Something along he lines of
“In 1961, the Berlin sculptor Karl-Heinz Krause was commissioned to create a work representing the gates of the newly re-opened museum. The 4 panels, each measuring wugga wugga wugga, were cast in bronze by the renowned Berlin art foundry wugga wugga wugga and depict three dimensional positive and negative images of traditional printing plates wugga wugga wugga.
The individual plates are replicas of wugga wugga wugga
etc “
So if the new director of the museum (a breath of fresh air after her predecessor, btw) happens to be reading this – I’m looking at you to fill in the gaps….
Update:
Commenter Jean Spitzer suggested “I think you just created the content and are now the best source in the world for info on this sculpture.”
Not far off the truth probably.
Mainz Daily Photo 
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>Paul, Gucki – you certainly are a couple of fine fellows..I was just on my way to the Stadtbibliothek…..Nothing from the powers-that-be at the museum as yet – I'll document the panels over at YMBFA when I get a chance and if the worst comes to the worst, I'll find out where K-H Krause lives (Berlin, I assume) and might zip over for the day to interview him
>Too bad, thanks for trying, Gucki. Nice little story, and btw I enjoy your blog on JB's recommendation.
>On Friday I laid hands and eyes on the "Vierteljahreshefte" – and I'm afraid the article does not help to uncover the mystery of the gates. The essay depicts a different piece of K. Krauses artwork. No facts with reference to those bronze-panels are given.The author however tells a little anecdote referring to the re-opening in '62: Krause had initially been asked to do a sculpture and had designed a big male nude. The mayor hesitated, vox populi voted against it – and off went the nude. (I must admit I entertain some doubts about this story…)Gucki
>Having googled around a bit, I wonder whether the following article is of any relevance to your investigations:Borrmann, Gottfried:Arkadisches Terrain in Bronze : Bildplatten von Karl-Heinz KrauseIn: Mainz : Vierteljahreshefte für Kultur, Politik, Wirtschaft, Geschichte. – 12 (1992), 3, S. 92-95, 1992. – Ill.(Bestellbar bei:Stadtbibliothek Mainz) Your chances of getting your hands on this work are greater than mine…
>Splendid piece of detective work, and great shot. Thanks.
>I think you just created the content and are now the best source in the world for info on this sculpture. why don't you bring out the measuring tape for the first wugga wugga.
>By jove I knew you'd get to the bottom of it JB. Wugga wugga to you too! Bravo for the good effort. V
>Great! love the photo.