After the remarkable theft of a bronze figure from the Leopold fountain in Innsbruck, the forty kilo putti has now resurfaced. A walker discovered the section on the Innpromenade on Monday. The hitherto unknown perpetrators probably brought down the figure by force.
Apparently, for weeks no one had noticed that one of the four figures was missing from the well-known fountain between the Haus der Musik and the Hofburg. According to the police, the putti, which is about 60 centimeters high and was attached with glue and a threaded rod, was forcibly broken down in mid-March and stolen.
Police are still looking for witnesses
The police asked for information, which has now led to success. “The bronze statue was secured on Monday after a walker pointed it out by a police patrol from Neu-Arzl police station on Innpromenade,” the executive said. There was no obvious damage to the bronze figure. Police believe the statue was put there the night before. However, it is still unclear who did this. The LKA Tyrol asks for relevant information on 059133 – 70 3333.
The city believes someone was joking by disassembling the figure. “Even if this certainly meant some effort with a figure attached with glue and a threaded rod,” admits Lukas Morscher, the city archivist of Innsbruck. In any case, the statue will be carefully examined in the coming days and checked for damage, so that it can be put back in its original place as soon as possible. Lukas Morscher wants to talk to the Federal Monuments Office about this: There is a better installation in the room so that vandals have no chance in the future.
Confrontation between city and museum
The bronze figure was mounted below the main figure – a statue of Archduke Leopold on a horse – as one of four bearers of cisterns. According to the city, the value of the figure is 30,000 euros. The Leopold Fountain itself has been the subject of public discussion several times in recent years because disputes arose between the city of Innsbruck and the museum following 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 image. In the end, however, an agreement was reached and the equestrian statue returned to the Tyrolean capital.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
