A wooden sculpture of a phallus stood on Grünten mountainside in Bavaria, Germany from around 2016, according to locals, until November 2020. Nicknamed "the Holzpenis", its original creator is unknown.
| Grünten phallus sculpture | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in 2019, a year before its disappearance | |
| Medium | Wood |
| Subject | A human penis |
| Condition | Lost |
In November 2020 the sculpture disappeared, leaving a stump and some sawdust behind. Days later, it was replaced by a slightly larger replica.
Sculpture
editThe original sculpture, of a phallus, was made of wood and was 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall. It weighed 200 kilograms (440 lb).[1]
History
editCarving and placement
editThe original carver of the sculpture is unknown,[2] as is the exact date of its placement, though a spokesperson for Deutscher Alpenverein said in 2020 that it had stood for four years. It was placed the mountainside of Grünten mountain, over 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above sea level,[3] looking over the Allgäu region.[4]
Some local lore supposes that the sculpture was made as a prank birthday present for a young man, and that his family didn’t appreciate the gift and thus elected to leave the sculpture on the mountain,[1] after pulling it up there on a sled.[2]
As a hiking landmark
editThe sculpture became a destination for hikers,[1] being a subject of their selfies,[5] and appeared on Google Maps as a "cultural monument".[1] It attracted the moniker "the Holzpenis".[6]
The sculpture was generally left untouched.[2] However, in the weeks before its disappearance, the sculpture was knocked down and then re-erected.[7] It was in place as late as the evening of Saturday 28 November 2020.[4]
Disappearance and replacement
editDuring the night of Sunday 29 November 2020, the phallus went missing.[4] On 30 November, local newspaper Allgaeuer Zeitung reported that the sculpture appeared to have been chopped down.[1] A small stump, some wood chips, and a pile of sawdust was left behind,[2] as well as some Police in the town of Kempten opened an investigation into its disappearance, though Deutsche Presse-Agentur stated that it was not clear whether a crime was committed.[1] Nikolaus Weissinger, the mayor of nearby town Rettenberg, called the vanishing of the sculpture "a shame".[2] This disappearance took place within days of the disappearance of the Utah monolith.[7]
The "Grünten-Zipferl",[3] a "tangy, natural red beer", was dedicated to the phallus by a local brewery[7] on 2 December. "Zipferl" is a colloquial word for "penis" used in southern Germany and Austria.[3]
On Thursday, 3 December, the phallus was replaced by a slightly larger replica, this time propped up with wooden beams.[5] The creator of this phallus is also unknown.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "German police probe mystery of missing giant phallus statue". AP News. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Grünten statue: Mystery over missing phallic landmark". BBC News. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d Ismay, John (4 December 2020). "Sculpture Vanishes From German Mountain, Then Is Replaced". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ a b c Connor, Richard (1 December 2020). "Bavaria: Theft of wooden phallus landmark puzzles police". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ a b "New phallus sculpture appears in Bavarian mountains". AP News. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ Champion, Matthew (1 December 2020). "Giant Penis Sculpture Disappears from German Mountaintop". Vice. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "German police investigate after giant phallic 'monument' vanishes". The Guardian. 1 December 2020. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 March 2025.