The Schleitheim Stairway to Heaven is meant to symbolize the uncertain, dangerous and arduous path of the Schleitheim Anabaptist families.

The Anabaptist and former monk Michael Sattler, life-size and figurative in bronze, balances on a sculptural, stylized ladder to heaven, surrounded by a group of people. Near the church tower, in an eternal contest; it is clear that the church tower will win. Michael Sattler is actually balancing "incorrectly", looking away from the ladder; his path is another path, more difficult, more radical, more dangerous. Sattler holds on only lightly, with his thumb alone, not striving for security. He extends the seven articles toward heaven in the hope that the Lord will help, perhaps sensing his dark future. No Anabaptist hat protects his head; Michael Sattler has exposed himself with his controversial text, and he knows this very well. His long coat appears clearly split as a reference to the Reformation. Michael Sattler looks toward the Randen. Perhaps a psalm is in his thoughts? Perhaps Psalm 121 from the Sermon on the Mount: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

"I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?"

Michael Sattler balances on a rung still far down, almost at ground level, close to the people who accompany him. In the eyes of his enemies, however, Sattler stands very high, having become dangerous and threatening their power: What if the whole people turned away from the secular rulers? No more oaths of loyalty? No more mercenaries? No more taxes? No more power?

But it is not about Michael Sattler alone. It is also about many other people who were persecuted for their particular beliefs and still are.

Many Schleitheimer Anabaptists were also fined, imprisoned, and expelled. The names of all Schleitheimer Anabaptists known from court records are written on the rungs of the ladder to heaven, connecting the ladder with today's and future village population: "Is my name also listed?" The lowest rungs invite climbing and allow physical interaction with the object. Depicting a group of people with Michael Sattler in their midst is the idea. Each visitor thus becomes an individual part of the memorial. As a passerby and viewer you thus become part of the 'Schleitheimer Himmelsleiter', part of its silhouette. The constantly changing group of people should be captured by visitors in photographs. History to touch, to participate in, to take away.

Interactive content about the Schleitheimer Confession, the Schleitheimer Anabaptists, and Michael Sattler can also be accessed via a QR code: a digital monument guide with an audio guide, film, texts, and images that help reveal the connections. Alongside the idealizing intent, problematic facets should also be illuminated. This contextualizes the commemorative object and turns it into a virtual 24-hour mini-museum.

The expelled Schleitheimer and Michael Sattler should remind us in the future to be grateful for today’s values: peace, human rights, protection of minorities, freedom of belief, and the fundamental recognition of pluralistic coexistence.