A bronze sphere remains in Liberty Park

In 1967, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded German artist Fritz Koenig a contract to create a sculpture for the space between the Twin Towers. In 1971, Koenig's bronze Sphere was installed on the World Trade Center's plaza. The sculpture, which stood 7.64 meters high, was dedicated to world peace through trade and served as a popular meeting place for New Yorkers.

Then came the September 11 attacks. The Sphere was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the collapsed Twin Towers. After being dismantled and stored near a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the sculpture became a memorial for the attacks. It was eventually returned to Manhattan, and on March 11, 2002, Koenig's Sphere was re-erected in Battery Park, several blocks away from where it once stood.

For years, the sculpture was kept in the badly damaged condition it was found in after the attacks. In 2017, the Port Authority moved the work to Liberty Park, overlooking the September 11 Memorial and its original location. The sculpture was rededicated at its permanent location on August 16, 2017, where it remains today as a monument to the victims.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons