Fotzenpoidl, Baroque marble sculpture at Graben, Austria
Fotzenpoidl is a marble sculpture depicting Emperor Leopold I that forms part of the Vienna Plague Column on Graben street. The figure portrays the ruler with distinctive facial features, particularly a pronounced lower lip, serving as one element within this larger monument.
Sculptor Paul Strudel completed this marble figure in 1694 to commemorate the end of a severe plague epidemic that had struck Vienna in the late 1600s. The monument was created in response to one of the most serious public crises in the city during the 1600s.
The name Fotzenpoidl refers to Emperor Leopold I's characteristic protruding lower lip, which is prominently shown in this marble representation. The local nickname shows how Viennese people approached their rulers with witty detachment and humor.
This sculpture stands in central Vienna at the intersection of Graben and Kohlmarkt streets, with easy access to public transportation and surrounded by shopping areas. The location is straightforward to reach on foot and connects well with other nearby attractions.
Local folklore suggests the exaggerated lip representation originated from the emperor's initial reluctance to fund the column's construction. This reflects a popular way people expressed their views about the ruler's resistance to the project.
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