Franz Klammer

Sculpture unveiled: Homage is paid to the ski emperor

Ceremonially unveiled: Franz Klammer got his own sculpture in Bad Kleinkirchheim

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

One year after the 70th birthday of skiing legend Franz Klammer, the Olympic champion is honored with a sculpture on the village square in Bad Kleinkirchheim - just in time for the opening of the winter season!

When Franz Klammer invites people to the unveiling of his sculpture, the weather gods also play along. In snowfall, friends and family, as well as politicians and tourism representatives gathered at the new "Franz Klammer Square" in Bad Kleinkirchheim. Tourism boss Jakob Forstnig explains: "We are keeping a promise here today! We have already presented our Franz with a small model and a plaque for his birthday - the rest follows today!" It's not just about honoring his sporting achievements, but above all about Franz Klammer as a person.

Franz Klammer next to the sculpture dedicated to him

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

Created by sculptor Egon Gruber from Bad Kleinkirchheim, the new sculpture adorns the village square from today, which is to be completely renovated from spring and become a meeting place for young and old: "2.5 million euros are being invested in the project," says Mayor Matthias Krenn proudly. 680,000 euros will come from the state's lighthouse funding program, where the "Dorfplatz NEU" project took first place. The redesign of the village square was also praised by Michael Maier, member of the provincial parliament and mayor of the neighboring municipality: "Meeting places in public spaces are very important and need to be of the appropriate quality! The new village square will also have international appeal, not least because of the Klammer sculpture."

In future, guests will be personally welcomed to the village by Franz Klammer via video

Jakob Forstnig, Vorstand des Tourismusverbandes Bad Kleinkirchheim

And wherever Franz Klammer is, winter sports are not far away - which is why the winter season in the region was also opened as part of the ceremony: "Franz Klammer has been a brand ambassador for Bad Kleinkirchheim for many years - that is something that is appreciated!", agree those responsible. In addition to the two-metre-high sculpture, the multimedia presentation #servusfranz was also presented for the first time: "In future, guests will be welcomed to the village by Franz Klammer himself via video," says Forstnig. A QR code can be scanned at the statue to download a short video message from the ski emperor directly onto a smartphone. "The video is an authentic and entertaining reflection of what Franz Klammer means to Bad Kleinkirchheim and the entire tourism region. Here we are on a first-name basis - we all know him here. And everyone can meet him here."

"Little Franzi would never have imagined that"
The mayor of Bad Kleinkirchheim, Matthias Krenn, also paid tribute to the skiing legend: "Nobody has equaled your 25 downhill titles in the past 40 years - you are an incredibly valuable brand ambassador!" Klammer himself emphasized his connection to the region: "I first sat in a ski lift in St. Oswald when I was eight years old - since then I have spent countless hours training here." After the Klammer downhill run named after him, the sports enthusiast is now also very proud of the sculpture: "I am grateful that my name is being honored here for the long term. Little Franzi would never have thought that when he skied here for the first time".