The original carver of the sculpture is unknown,[2] as is the exact date of its placement, though a spokesperson for Deutscher Alpenverein said in 2020 that it had stood for four years. It was placed the mountainside of Grünten mountain, over 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above sea level,[3] looking over the Allgäu region.[4]
Some local lore supposes that the sculpture was made as a prank birthday present for a young man, and that his family didn’t appreciate the gift and thus elected to leave the sculpture on the mountain,[1] after pulling it up there on a sled.[2]
The sculpture became a destination for hikers,[1] being a subject of their selfies,[5] and appeared on Google Maps as a "cultural monument".[1] It attracted the moniker "the Holzpenis".[6]
The sculpture was generally left untouched.[2] However, in the weeks before its disappearance, the sculpture was knocked down and then re-erected.[7] It was in place as late as the evening of Saturday 28 November 2020.[4]
During the night of Sunday 29 November 2020, the phallus went missing.[4] On 30 November, local newspaper Allgaeuer Zeitung reported that the sculpture appeared to have been chopped down.[1] A small stump, some wood chips, and a pile of sawdust was left behind.[2] Police in the town of Kempten opened an investigation into its disappearance, though Deutsche Presse-Agentur stated that it was not clear whether a crime was committed.[1] Nikolaus Weissinger, the mayor of nearby town Rettenberg, called the vanishing of the sculpture "a shame".[2] This disappearance took place within days of the disappearance of the Utah monolith.[7]
The "Grünten-Zipferl",[3] a "tangy, natural red beer", was dedicated to the phallus by a local brewery[7] on 2 December. "Zipferl" is a colloquial word for "penis" used in southern Germany and Austria.[3]
On Thursday, 3 December, the phallus was replaced by a slightly larger replica, this time propped up with wooden beams.[5] The creator of this phallus is also unknown.[3]
