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Stone statue stolen from Krems viticulture school

The stonemasons from South Korea took the stone father figure from their home country to Krems - now it has been stolen.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Vogler)

Art criminals struck at the Krems School of Viticulture (Lower Austria): A sculpture handmade by South Koreans was simply stolen!

Even from a distance, the permaculture garden at the Krems viticulture school was always clearly visible until recently. One of the reasons for this is an artistically constructed stone tower on which a special stone sculpture stood, which became the unofficial landmark of the town since it was erected last year. The tower was built during the international stone and wine workshop in 2023, which was also attended by a group of stonemasons and masons from South Korea.

They brought the hand-carved stone figure from their homeland to the Danube metropolis. The sculptures called "Stone Grandfather" have an important spiritual significance in Asia. Perhaps this is why the Krems specimen was recently stolen from the garden of the viticulture school.

Sculpture weighs ten kilograms
"The perpetrator or perpetrators must have noticed the figure and dismantled it. It was attached at a height of two meters and yet weighs around ten kilograms. This requires a targeted effort, as we were otherwise unable to discover any traces. The garden is locked with a gate, which therefore presupposes a deliberate unlawful intrusion," comments Dieter Faltl, director of the viticulture school, on the regrettable theft.

"SOKO Sculpture" asks for information from witnesses
To ensure that the valuable sculpture can soon be viewed again in the idyllic "Nature in the Garden" show garden in Krems, professional and amateur investigators are asking for information on 02732/87 516.