Somehow just about anyone who walks through the pedestrian zone in Munich knows this statue, but not all that many people know why a wild boar is in the middle of the Altstadt. It’s because of Bavaria’s rich hunting and fishing history, and because somehow a beautiful old Augustinian church on the main drag of Munich – Neuhauser Strasse - was converted into the Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Jagd und Fischereimuseum). The museum has a huge collection of hunting and survival equipment, weapons, tools, and large scale stuffed animals in their natural habitat – in fact the world’s largest collection of stuffed animals with more than 500. You will also find the world’s largest collection of fish hooks, a 12,000 year old skeleton of a wild Irish stag, and ironically a 6.- foot tall North American grizzly bear. And to greet you at the door, it’s none other than a large catfish and this wild boar. Judging by the kids climbing over both of them – I don’t think it really bites.
2 comments:
Nice post!
When I went to Florence last year I was surprised to find an identical wild boar statue near the Mercato Nuovo (Straw Market). The museum is wacky, but cool. I wrote a story about it that you might be interested in at http://www.destination-munich.com/german-hunting-and-fishing-museum.html
Good hunting!
actually, if one looks at the front of the old Sydney Hospital (Australia, near circular quay), you'll find another near replica! Not sure about the real significance of this statue...
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