Fool of Passau, Passau
The Fool of Passau, a unique stone head, has a curious origin. It fell from Passau's cathedral, surviving with a broken body. Despite this, it humorously claims to be alert but "weak in the head."
Historically, the stone head likely came from the cathedral's destroyed figure during the 1662 city fire. It features short hair, large eyes, and a wide grin.
The stone head's connection to the city deepened when, post-fire, the cathedral's towers were roofed flat. In 1696, Father Gansler mocked Passau residents as "Dölpel" for not adding spikes to the towers. This derogatory term stuck.
After residing in various places, the Fool of Passau settled on the Veste Oberhaus in 1884, becoming a symbol of history.
In 2003, the "Doll Return Campaign" relocated it near St. Stephen's Cathedral. Spearheaded by city guides like Jürgen Hellwing and his wife Ursula Karl-Hellwing, this event celebrated its "reawakening" on May 15, 2004.
The stone head's nickname inspired a columnist to adopt "Fool of Passau." In this lighthearted Passau New Press column, everyday issues are humorously addressed, weaving a connection to the city's lively local media.
Historically, the stone head likely came from the cathedral's destroyed figure during the 1662 city fire. It features short hair, large eyes, and a wide grin.
The stone head's connection to the city deepened when, post-fire, the cathedral's towers were roofed flat. In 1696, Father Gansler mocked Passau residents as "Dölpel" for not adding spikes to the towers. This derogatory term stuck.
After residing in various places, the Fool of Passau settled on the Veste Oberhaus in 1884, becoming a symbol of history.
In 2003, the "Doll Return Campaign" relocated it near St. Stephen's Cathedral. Spearheaded by city guides like Jürgen Hellwing and his wife Ursula Karl-Hellwing, this event celebrated its "reawakening" on May 15, 2004.
The stone head's nickname inspired a columnist to adopt "Fool of Passau." In this lighthearted Passau New Press column, everyday issues are humorously addressed, weaving a connection to the city's lively local media.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Passau. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The GPSmyCity App
Fool of Passau on Map
Sight Name: Fool of Passau
Sight Location: Passau, Germany (See walking tours in Passau)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Sight Location: Passau, Germany (See walking tours in Passau)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Walking Tours in Passau, Germany
Create Your Own Walk in Passau
Creating your own self-guided walk in Passau is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Passau Introduction Walking Tour
A charming German town nestled among the rolling hills of Lower Bavaria “between heaven and three rivers,” Passau is a city of natural beauty and religious pilgrimage.
Founded over 2,000 years ago, this is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. Its history dates back to Roman times when it was a small colony known as "Batavis." The latter word translates from Latin as "for the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Founded over 2,000 years ago, this is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. Its history dates back to Roman times when it was a small colony known as "Batavis." The latter word translates from Latin as "for the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles