Monday, July 7, 2008
Hitler’s wax model is to return to the Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin, Germany after getting its head ripped off by a 41-year old man who was arrested but subsequently released.
At the grand opening of the museum, the man, currently only known as Frank L., pushed aside two officers who were protecting the exhibit. Yelling “No more war!”, he proceeded to rip off the wax sculpture’s head.
The man was arrested but later released pending investigation. He told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag he was angry about the exhibit. It has been reported that he had committed the act to win a bet started by his friends at a bar.
The waxwork was criticized around Germany where, generally, Nazi memorabilia or symbols are banned. Critics have argued that it is inappropriate to display a person who started a world war, but the museum has noted that Hitler was an important figure in German history.
The museum has announced its intentions to reinstate the €200,000 (£160,000) model after repairs, which could take weeks.