German Artist Creates Nazi Garden Gnomes

(AP)  A German artist is posing 1,250 garden gnomes with their arms outstretched in the stiff-armed Hitler salute in an installation that he calls a protest of lingering fascist tendencies in German society.

Artist Ottmar Hoerl posed the gnomes in the historic central marketplace of Straubing, a town in southeastern Germany, on Wednesday. The exhibit called "dance with the devil" is to run through Oct. 19.

Most of the gnomes are black plastic, but about 20 are painted shiny gold.

Displaying Nazi symbols is illegal in Germany but a court ruled earlier this year that Hoerl's gnomes were clearly satire and thus allowed.

Hoerl says: "the fascist idea, the striving to manipulate people or dictate to people ... is latently dangerous and remains present in our society."

[rwsmith29456]

I don't like it, but the court ruled it as satire and it was allowed. No news here.

[republicanright]

What is the difference between the Third Reich and the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church is still in power.

[Sloughfoot]

Are you sure of that? A graduate of the Hitler Youth Movement and a Nazi Officer sits at the head of the dinner table in the Vatican.

[scubbasteve01]

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. isn't the place for this Un-American act only a FOOL who doesn't call himself an American would want to see such a tasteless act put infront of millions of people.
Why don't you do the world a favor and put away your Confederate Flag.

[scubbasteve01]

Omar Hoerl? Facism? SATIRE? Hey Omar you are an idiot! Your Nazi Gnomes are throwing up the Hitler salute. HELLO? What is wrong with this picture? When you get finished MORON remind yourself what prison camps were used for and pick up your dictionary to look up GENOCIDE just in case you forgot what that word means and don't forget to check out CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.
But somehow we'll all still know that you're still missing a few brain cells. MORON

[mena1993]

i think that this is really retarded because hitler is dumb and retarded.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

Art is dead.

[bobnjersey]

[Art is dead. ]

isn't art ... like beauty ... in the eye of the beholder?

this doesn't do anything for me ... but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have some meaning for someone else.

[wmsshields]

I hope this artist will go on tour and put this display at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for a week.

[mjlewis6]

Yeah, we know about dancing with the devil. The rascal still keeps getting in front of a camera and spouting nonsense about how Kidnapping, Torture and Imprisonment without Trial of the American Homeland's enemies is keeping democracy safe in the world. This balding Cheney with a Red Level Terror armband is still up for satire.

[Jeromiaht]

HEIL HITLER!

[Sloughfoot]

Send one, "To whom it may concern" to the Vatican.