More than 200 gold-colored statuettes depicting Austria's famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have been stolen from his hometown of Salzburg, officials announced Wednesday. The disappearances have diminished a tribute installed to mark the composer's 270th birthday.
The Mozarteum Foundation initially unveiled 320 statuettes on July 15. Designed by German artist Ottmar Hörl, the polymer figures stand nearly 20 inches tall and show Mozart with his dog. Within two weeks of their installation, more than 80 statuettes had gone missing. By Wednesday, the total number of missing figures reached 210.
Hörl described the thefts as an "organized theft," telling the German news agency dpa that "the worst thing for an artist is when his work dissolves." He noted that the stolen statuettes were valued at approximately 100 euros ($114) each, indicating that the thieves have not amassed a fortune from their actions.
The mini-Mozarts were displayed in various locations, including the garden of Mozart's former home, his living quarters, and several pavilions. Organizers had set aside some spare statuettes, but the number was insufficient to replace the extensive losses. Compounding the issue, the manufacturer of the statues was on holiday, preventing a swift replenishment.
The exhibition, featuring the remaining statuettes now spaced further apart, is scheduled to continue until August 30.
This is not the first time Hörl has experienced theft at one of his public art installations. A previous display of Richard Wagner statues in Bayreuth, Germany, was entirely stolen within 10 days.
"That’s just the nature of public space," Hörl commented on the phenomenon of art installations in public areas. "It ranges from destruction to theft. That’s just how it is."
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg. The Mozarteum Foundation in the city hosts concerts, operates Mozart museums, and supports research on the composer. Hörl intended the statuettes to humanize Mozart, stating, "I wanted to show his human side, that he was a normal human being despite his genius." To achieve this, he depicted the composer with his dog, Pimperl, a reference to the Mozart family's known fondness for walking their dogs in Salzburg's Mirabell Garden.