Image: EXPA/ERICH SPIESS (APA)
The figure was secured by a police patrol in a green area near the Inn promenade on Monday after a walker pointed it out, it said. Executives believed the figure had been placed there the night before.
The bronze figure remained intact, no obvious damage was found, it said. The Tyrolean State Criminal Police Office asked for information (Tel. 059133 – 70 3333).
Theft went unnoticed for months
The fact that the figure was missing from the well-known fountain was apparently not noticed for months. It could have been missing since the beginning of February, it had been said. The only thing that could be said with certainty was that it was still in place prior to February 1st. The theft was only reported on April 17th.
The bronze figure was mounted below the main figure – which is a statue of Archduke Leopold on a horse – as one of four bearers of water bowls. The figure, which was attached with glue and a threaded rod, had been violently torn off. The object is 60 centimeters tall and weighs around 30 to 40 kilograms, the value amounts to a five-digit euro amount in the lower third.
City archivist euphoric
The city’s reaction to the reappearance of the putti was downright euphoric. “Hooray, our missing boy is back!” Said a broadcast from the town hall. “I never believed in a metal robbery. I rather believe that someone made a joke out of stealing the figure – even if this meant a certain effort with a figure attached with glue and a threaded rod,” said city archivist Lukas Morscher about the background of the “act of vandalism”.
The bronze figure will now be examined closely and checked for damage. Then talks with the Federal Monuments Office would be started. The responsible persons brought into play an improved installation, which guarantees increased security against acts of vandalism.
The Leopold Fountain, which is located between the Haus der Musik and the Hofburg, has been the subject of public discussion several times in recent years because disputes between the city of Innsbruck and the museum arose after the renovation of the equestrian statue by the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM). The equestrian statue with a value of twelve million euros is owned by the KHM, the museum wanted insurance for the work of art, which has been in Innsbruck since 1893. However, the city did not want to take over the insurance, which is why the KHM kept the statue. Finally, however, an agreement was reached and the equestrian statue returned to the Tyrolean capital.
Source: Nachrichten
