Delay in the Removal of the Lueger Monument in Vienna Occurs Again

The permanent contextualization of the controversial Karl Lueger monument on Vienna's Ringstraße by tilting the monument is further delayed. According to the current status, the concrete implementation of the project "Schieflage (Karl Lueger 3.5°)" by artist Klemens Wihlidal is set to start next year and be completed by summer. The art institution KÖR (Art in Public Space) pointed out the complexity of the undertaking in a release on Tuesday.

Vienna Lueger Monument to be Tilted by 3.5 Degrees Only in 2026

The tilting of the monument by 3.5 degrees is the winning design that emerged from a redesign competition in 2023. Originally, the redesign was supposed to take place in 2024 and was then postponed to 2025. This schedule has now had to be changed again. "Due to the complexity of the advertised planning services and the construction, transport, and restoration work yet to be tendered, and the required technical and organizational collaboration of many different experts from various fields, the preparation of the documents for the already completed planner tender and the subsequent construction and restoration tender takes and has taken correspondingly more time compared to a standard procurement process," explained KÖR.

Controversial Statue Repeatedly Vandalized

The statue has been a topic of discussion for years, with critics repeatedly reminding of the anti-Semitism of Vienna's Mayor Karl Lueger (1844-1910). During protests, the pedestal and bronze figure have been repeatedly vandalized. These layers of paint will now be removed as part of the preparatory work for the redesign, and damaged parts of the sculptures and reliefs on the pedestal will be restored. The cleaning of the figure itself will be carried out in coordination with the Federal Monuments Office while maintaining the typical green patina underneath, it was stated.

FPÖ Demands Project Halt

The Vienna FPÖ cannot find anything positive in the project. "The planned tilting of the statue by 3.5 degrees is not only artistically questionable but above all a financial madness that the Viennese population will ultimately have to pay for," expressed the non-executive city councilor Stefan Berger and the FPÖ cultural spokesperson Lukas Brucker indignantly. They demanded via a release the immediate halt of the project and the installation of an additional plaque as a contextualization measure.

(APA/Red)

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