Overview
- The two‑metre Bernd das Brot statue beside Erfurt’s town hall was sprayed all over with silver paint and was noticed by passersby early on Friday morning.
- Erfurt police opened a criminal damage investigation, searched the area after the report and are asking witnesses to come forward because no suspects have been identified.
- City cultural officials said they will assess whether a gentle cleaning can remove the paint or whether more extensive restoration is needed and that the cost of repairs is not yet known.
- Representatives from Kika and the statue’s creators publicly expressed dismay at the attack, calling it clear Sachbeschädigung and urging the monument’s rapid return to its original appearance.
- The sculpture, made of laminated polyester resin and installed in 2007, has a record of high‑profile incidents including a 2009 abduction and earlier graffiti, and the latest damage could increase calls for greater protection and restoration funding for Erfurt’s Kika figures.