Meet German Village's new gnomes
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Frieda Lichtner, the stained-glass themed gnome outside Franklin Art Glass on Sycamore Street, will be auctioned off next month. Photos: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios
If you've visited German Village lately, you may have noticed some whimsical new residents around the neighborhood.
Carving the news: To celebrate its 60th year, the German Village Garten Club commissioned 23 elaborate gnome sculptures and cultivated a community scavenger hunt.
- The wooden gnomes range from 3 to 5 feet. Many are themed after the businesses that "adopted" them and come with surprisingly detailed backstories.
- Around a dozen will be displayed permanently. The rest will be auctioned off next month and go home with their new owners after December.
Fun fact: Garden gnomes — or "Gartenzwerge" — have deep roots in German culture and folklore, where they're associated with good luck.
💭 Alissa's thought bubble: The sculptures remind me of the dolphin trail I enjoyed as a tourist in Clearwater, Florida — and I can definitely see them being a hit as a permanent, evolving display.
