Welcome to Austria Sign

Is Austria home to a town named 'Fucking'?

Claim:   Austria is home to a town called ‘Fucking.’

TRUE

Example:   [Collected on the Internet, 2000]


Tourists are causing a lot of anxiety — and are costing money — to a tiny village where signs keep disappearing. What do the signs read? “Welcome to Fucking, Austria.” Pronounced “fooking,” the little hamlet of Fucking is named after the man who founded the village in the 6th century. His name? Focko. The town sign has been stolen seven times in the last few months. With signs costing several hundred dollars apiece, much of the tiny town’s budget is being spent replacing the signs, says Siegfried Hoeppel, the Mayor of Fucking. He went on to express his hope that further thefts will be avoided through the use of increased concrete and … bigger screws.



 

Origins:   Austria is indeed home to a town called ‘Fucking’ (48º
04’N 12º 51’E), a name derived from that of ‘Focko,’ a 6th century Bavarian nobleman. And as noted in a Telegraph article about residents’ considering a change in spelling for the town’s name, the locals do have quite a problem dealing with stolen signs:



For centuries the tiny village in northern Austria lived life in happy obscurity, but life changed when US troops, stationed in the area at the end of the Second World War, discovered it, and since then the village’s name has been a constant source of amusement for tourists and irritation for locals.

At least 13 £250 road signs bearing the village’s name have been stolen, and the sight of semi-naked women posing for photographs beside signs has become a common sight. One local business woman, exasperated with people stealing her sign has taken to adding another “g” in the hope it will deter thieves.

A brisk market in postcards and Christmas cards making liberal use of the name have also managed to spread its fame.

In an attempt to curtail the fun had at the village’s expense some locals want to readopt its 16th-Century spelling and replace the “ck” with a single or double “g”.


Here are a few photos of the hard-to-keep signs:

I said, 'Duck'

I said, 'Duck'

The second sign carries the hilarity even further: “Bitte — nicht so schnell!” is German for “Please — not so fast!” (Evidently this type of sign is a commonplace reminder in those parts for motorists to keep their speed down to protect children, but many viewers find the unintended double meaning in this case particularly amusing.)

Last updated:   17 April 2012

Sources:




    Day, Matthew.   “Austrian Village F—ing to Vote on Name Change.”

    The Telegraph.   17 April 2012.