Buzz
Every town boasts some sort of monument—be it a war memorial, a statue of a historical figure, or a work of art meant to commemorate a significant national event. Some of these names are familiar, but many of them are not.
While most of these monuments become a part of the everyday landscape, often overlooked, there are others that stand out for being too massive, too unusual, or just downright bizarre. Let’s explore a few of these unforgettable structures.
10. The Child-Eater Fountain of Bern
In 1545, the city council of Bern in Switzerland tasked sculptor Hans Gieng with replacing an old statue that had fallen into decay. While the original design is lost to history, what Gieng created has haunted the people of Bern ever since. The statue shows a giant devouring a baby, while clutching another terrified infant and a sack brimming with more babies.
The exact meaning behind the statue remains a mystery, though it could be interpreted as a warning: perhaps don’t bring your children to Bern if they’re prone to crying. The giant appears to be enjoying his grisly feast as he swallows the child’s head.
The Kindlifresserbrunnen (translated as “Ogre Fountain” or “Child-Eater Fountain”) is rumored to be cursed. Local folklore says that on Christmas night, the fountain flows with wine, but drinking from it supposedly causes the drinker to be possessed by the Devil—and perhaps develop an uncontrollable craving for cherubs.
9. St. Wenceslas Riding a Dead Horse Upside Down
In Prague’s Wenceslas Square stands a statue of St. Wenceslas, the beloved Good King immortalized in the famous “Good King Wenceslas” Christmas carol. Though the statue is quite traditional in appearance, it carries a slightly militaristic tone. Wenceslas sits proudly on his horse, dressed in a military uniform and helmet, lance in hand—a depiction that could be mistaken for any statue found around the world.
King Wenceslas, an important figure in Prague's history, ruled the nation in the early 10th century. He was known for his fair reign, in stark contrast to his brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, who ultimately killed him. (Given his nickname, it’s not surprising that he turned out to be a villain.)
Hidden in a corner of Wenceslas Square is another statue. Inside Lucerna Pasaz, you’ll find St. Wenceslas, looking just as majestic, but with a twist—he’s riding a horse that’s not only dead, but hanging upside down and suspended from the ceiling.
The artist, David Cerny, is thought to have created this piece as a critique—not necessarily of the beloved Czech king, but of the Czech president, Vaclav Klaus. The exact message behind the work, however, remains unclear.
8. The Leshan Giant Buddha
There are large Buddhas, and then there are truly colossal Buddhas. The Buddha in Leshan stands at an astonishing 71 meters (233 feet) tall. Carved into the sandstone cliffs in Sichuan province, China, it’s considered the largest pre-modern statue and the biggest stone Buddha in the world.
Work on carving the statue, which gazes over the confluence of three rivers, began in the eighth century. Due to the challenging terrain, the statue remains relatively difficult to access, helping to preserve it through the ages.
The project was started by a monk named Haitong, who hoped that the statue would bring peace to the turbulent waters where the three rivers met. When local officials threatened to halt the project, Haitong is said to have gouged out his own eyes to demonstrate his devotion. His actions reportedly convinced the officials to allow the construction to continue, possibly because they feared what else he might do if they refused.
Sadly, Haitong did not live to see the completion of the statue, but he would have been pleased to learn that the Buddha’s construction caused debris to accumulate in the river, which changed its course and calmed the waters where the Buddha’s gaze is directed.
Of course, even had he lived to witness it, Haitong would not have been able to see the statue himself. So, perhaps it worked out for the best after all.
7. The Alton Barnes White Horse
In 1812, a farmer named Robert Pile paid a hefty £20 to a man called Jack the Painter (luckily, he was indeed a painter) to carve a horse into the hillside in Wiltshire, England. This was one of nine such horses that were etched into the hills of the area during that period, though no one really knows the reason behind it.
The design was painstakingly carved into the hill, with vast amounts of soil scraped away and removed. Then, chalk was packed into the shape to make it stand out in stark white against the surrounding green hills, visible from miles away.
However, Jack the Painter had a reputation as a con artist, and he subcontracted the job to another man who abandoned the project halfway through after Jack ran off with all the money. Despite this rocky start, the Alton Barnes White Horse was eventually completed after Robert Pile paid again for its construction.
The horse stands approximately 55 meters (180 feet) tall and 49 meters (160 feet) long. It has been relined with chalk multiple times since its creation and still gallops across the Wiltshire Downs today, ever searching for its companions.
6. A Giant Thumb
Cesar Baldaccini, a French sculptor and a member of the Nouveau Realisme (New Realism) movement, was known for creating art from unconventional materials. As part of this movement, Baldaccini crafted a number of striking statues made from compacted cars and other discarded objects. One of his more famous works, though rather unassuming, is a giant thumb.
Standing 6 meters (20 feet) tall, the cast-bronze statue of Baldaccini’s own thumb is the second version he created. (The original stood at a towering 12 meters [40 feet]!) Baldaccini famously refused to explain the meaning behind his art. However, the message of this particular piece seems clear enough: a big thumbs up.
5. The Georgia Guidestones
The Georgia Guidestones were erected in 1980, commissioned by a mysterious individual who went by the name R.C. Christian. The construction of the stones was shrouded in secrecy, and the true identity of R.C. Christian is likely to remain a mystery forever.
The stones themselves serve as a kind of legacy. Made up of six massive granite slabs, they bear inscriptions offering instructions for the survival of humanity, written in eight modern languages. Among these commandments is the call for population control, for reproduction to be “guided” to ensure the survival of the fittest, and for global disputes to be settled in a world court.
The stones also feature a few basic astronomical elements, including a hole in one of the rocks through which the North Star can be viewed. The capstone also functions as a calendar of sorts, though the reasons for these features remain unclear. There is speculation, however, that more secrets may yet be revealed. Rumors suggest that a time capsule is hidden beneath the stones, to be opened when the end of the world arrives.
So, keep an eye on these slabs.
4. Hand Of The Desert
The Atacama Desert, one of the driest and most isolated places on Earth, has some areas that haven’t seen rain in decades. Not the kind of place you’d expect to find many visitors. So, it was quite unusual when sculptor Mario Irarrazabal chose this desolate landscape for his latest artwork—a massive hand, 11 meters (36 feet) tall, emerging from the desert sands.
The hand is meant to symbolize the countless victims of torture and injustice under Chile’s military dictatorship, representing their unyielding spirit and the power of love to overcome evil. Unfortunately, not everyone interprets it in this way. Despite its remote location, the sculpture frequently falls victim to vandals and graffiti artists, which, in a way, also reflects the indomitable spirit of the taggers.
3. The Sinking Library
If you find yourself outside the State Library of Victoria, you might be taken aback by the sight of what seems like an ancient library slowly sinking into the ground. Made from Port Fairy Bluestone, this striking structure spans 7 meters (23 feet) across.
Created by artist Petrus Spronk, the artwork, titled Architectural Fragment, is one of several sunken sculptures Spronk has placed around the world. It’s meant to represent the fragile, fleeting nature of all things human, which can be quite unsettling.
However, there’s an optimistic way to interpret it. You could view the sinking library as a metaphor for the collapse of civilization and the loss of knowledge. Or, alternatively, it might symbolize the rise of a new society breaking free from old constraints, bringing with it fresh opportunities for learning and hope.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how to interpret it, as they say: you pays yer money, and you takes yer choice.
2. The Dunmore Pineapple
Back in 1761, the Earl of Dunmore decided it was time for a summerhouse. He had a fondness for both summerhouses and fruit, so naturally, he opted to build one shaped like a fruit. Of course, the fruit he had in mind was a pineapple.
At the time, pineapples were considered the most exotic fruit in all of Scotland. The pineapple-shaped summerhouse stands an impressive 11.2 meters (37 feet) tall. At its base are four 'vases,' which, in reality, are hidden chimneys that served the heating system for the hothouse below. The hothouse, in turn, cultivated various exotic fruits and vegetables, including pineapples.
Considering how things turned out, it’s probably for the best that bananas weren’t widely available in Britain until the late 19th century.
1. The Hanging Man
If you stroll through the Old Town of Prague, you might be shocked to spot a man dangling one-handed from a flagpole. Passersby have often contacted emergency services, fearing they were witnessing a suicide attempt or someone in grave distress.
Thankfully, that’s not the case. What they’re actually seeing is a sculpture of Sigmund Freud, crafted by David Cerny (the same artist behind the upside-down horse statue). The artwork is said to symbolize Freud’s own irrational fear of death. Ironically, the man who analyzed others’ anxieties had a profound dread of his own mortality.
Cerny is no stranger to stirring up controversy. He was also the artist behind the infamous pink Soviet tank, which he painted as part of a memorial commemorating Prague's liberation after World War II. His actions landed him in trouble, and he was briefly imprisoned for vandalism.
