AI-written summary of reporting by Deutsche Welle. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the original, linked below.
ABSTRACT

Organizers of a public art installation in Salzburg, Austria, have ended the display in Mirabell Garden after 210 of 320 gold-colored Mozart figures disappeared, according to the Mozarteum Foundation. The missing figures were part of an exhibition marking the 270th anniversary of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth.

Deutsche Welle

More than 200 Mozart figures stolen from Salzburg public art installation

Aug 12, 2026, 12:11 PM

Organizers of a public art installation in Salzburg, Austria, have ended the display in Mirabell Garden after 210 of 320 gold-colored Mozart figures disappeared, according to the Mozarteum Foundation. The missing figures were part of an exhibition marking the 270th anniversary of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth.

Context

The polymer figures, each approximately 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall, depicted Mozart alongside his dog Pimperl. They had been placed in Mirabell Garden and at several Mozart-related sites around Salzburg, Austria's fourth-largest city.

The installation was created by German conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl, who is known for large-scale works featuring multiple identical figures of famous personalities. Hörl has said his intention was to portray Mozart 'as a normal human being despite his genius,' rather than as a monument.

Organizers had kept some replacement figures in reserve but said these were insufficient to offset the scale of the losses. The figures' manufacturer is reportedly on summer holiday, leaving no immediate way to produce replacements.

Several dozen figures remain on display at the Mozarteum and at Mozart's birthplace through the end of August.

Hörl had planned to sell the figures after the exhibition for approximately €90 each. He estimated the financial loss from the theft at roughly €20,000.

A previous Hörl installation in Bayreuth experienced a comparable incident, in which 100 figures depicting composer Richard Wagner went missing.

All Perspectives
Artist Ottmar Hörl: Hörl said he did not believe tourists had simply walked off with the figures, describing what happened as 'organized theft' that he suspected took place at night after the garden had closed. He called the theft 'a bit cheeky' but also said, 'When you work as an artist in a public space, you mustn't complain about what is happening there. It ranges from destruction to theft. That's just how it is.' He added that 'the worst thing for an artist is when his work dissolves.'
Position not represented in the source reporting: Law enforcement or investigative authorities — no police response or investigation status is mentioned in the source.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • No suspects have been identified or named in the source.
  • The Mozarteum Foundation's full statement or response beyond confirming the number of missing figures is not included.
  • No police investigation details, such as whether a formal investigation has been opened or any leads exist, are provided.
  • It is not established whether security measures were in place in Mirabell Garden during the exhibition.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. Deutsche Welle — original

Read the original at Deutsche Welle

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