Nazi Gnomes Will Rule The World!
By Wyatt Earp | July 20, 2009
What do you get when you take a cute, little, golden gnome and reinvent him in the image of the Nazis?
Well, take an educated guess.
A German artist is under fire for crafting garden gnomes that appear to be giving the Nazi salute. Apparently, they don’t appreciate “creativity” like that in Germany anymore. Go figure.
BERLIN – German prosecutors in Nuremberg have launched an investigation into whether an artist’s gold-coloured gnome giving a stiff-armed Hitler salute violates the country’s strict laws against the use of Nazi symbols.
The gnome, standing 35 centimetres (14 inches) tall, is one of 700 made by German artist Ottmar Hoerl that were displayed in Belgium and Italy. Nuremberg prosecutors are investigating after a complaint to local police, said spokesman Wolfgang Traeg.
“We’ve asked both the artist and the gallery owner to explain what the intention is,” said Traeg, spokesman for the Nuremberg prosecutors. “It’s not a crime if it can be proved that the artist was being critical of the Nazis.”
Well, if nothing else, it is good to know that America isn’t the only country losing its collective mind.
Giving the outlawed Hitler salute or using Nazi symbols is a crime in Germany punishable by up to three years in prison.
Hoerl, who also created the giant blue and yellow euro symbol that was erected in front of the European Central Bank headquarters in Frankfurt in 2001, said he was astonished by the fuss about his bearded dwarfs.
“I’d have been executed by the Nazis if I had portrayed the ‘super race’ as gnomes in 1942,” the 59-year-old German artist was quoted telling Stern magazine’s online edition. (H/T – Reuters)
Good point. I don’t remember Hitler being too fond of dissent, and I certainly don’t remember him tolerating people comparing his “master race” to garden gnomes.
It’s a shame, too, because this would be a terrific advertising idea for Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome.
I’m just sayin’.
Topics: WTF? | 10 Comments »
Well, they ARE pretty hard over about ANY Nazi symbolism… I’m pretty sure the artist knew that up front, so he’s playing dumb…
Old NFO – Just like every politician who says or does something stupid.
personally i thooght this was rather funny and a total put down of the nazi’s idea of super race.
Yochanan – Agreed. People have to relax a little bit.
Steal underpants …. ??? …. Thousand years of World Domination.
Is that Gnome Chomsky?
“Ohhh give me a gnome..where the buffalo roooam..”
A gnome a day keeps Goebbels away.
What the artist was thinking is ungnome.
(For you mathematicians out there) You cant solve a 3 variable equation with only 1 ungnome..gnome.
ARRRGGHH..Damn you Wyatt..get these gnomes out of my head!!!
Would it change things if he weren’t holding up all of his fingers?
I’d buy one.
Insolublog – 1. Get underpants. 2. Undetermined . . .
Jon – Comments of the week!
Doghouse – He could be a Supreme. “Stop . . . in the name of love!”
Randal – You would have a dozen of them on your front lawn.
Yeah. It’s a South Park thing between friends.