Nazi Eagle Statue Salvaged from Uruguay Reborn as Dove Statue

Self-sunk in 1939... Long lawsuit after salvage in 2006
New statue commissioned from famous sculptor, unveiled in November

A giant eagle statue that adorned a German battleship during World War II is being reborn as a dove statue, a symbol of peace.

On the 16th (local time), Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou said at a live-streamed press conference at the presidential office, "After a long legal battle, the Nazi eagle statue was recognized as state property," adding, "We have decided to create a dove statue using the (bronze) material obtained by completely melting down the statue."

The eagle statue, engraved with the Nazi swastika (Hakenkreuz) symbol, weighs over 350 kg and measures 3 meters in length and 2 meters in height. This massive statue was attached to the stern of the German battleship Graf Spee, which sank in Uruguayan waters in 1939 during the early stages of World War II.

The Nazi eagle statue from the German battleship being salvaged from the Uruguay Sea in February 2006
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

At that time, the Graf Spee moved to the neutral country's Montevideo port due to hull damage during combat, and when defeat seemed inevitable, the ship chose to sink. All crew members disembarked before the sinking, and Captain Hans Langsdorff, who made the scuttling decision, took his own life a few days later.

The eagle statue sank to the seabed along with the ship and remained there for 67 years until it was salvaged by private contractors in February 2006. The statue, bearing Nazi symbols covered with cloth, was moved to a warehouse under the management of the Uruguayan Navy.

However, a lengthy legal dispute ensued between the Uruguayan government and the salvage investors. The investors claimed ownership of the eagle statue, estimated to be worth 26 million dollars (approximately 33 billion KRW), and engaged in years of legal battles with the government. Recently, the Uruguayan court ultimately ruled in favor of the government.

Before the final ruling, a decision was made to sell the eagle statue, but at that time, the German government and Jewish organizations expressed concerns that the statue could be exploited by neo-Nazi groups and others.

"From a Symbol of Hatred to a Symbol of Peace"

At the press conference, President Lacalle Pou said, "I have been thinking for three years about transforming this statue into a symbol of peace," and added, "I have entrusted this work to Uruguay’s famous sculptor, Pablo Atchugarry."

Atchugarry, who attended the conference, said, "I am very honored to be part of rebirthing a symbol of hatred into a symbol of peace," and added, "The work will be carried out over several months, traveling between Uruguay and Italy." The Uruguayan government expects the dove statue to be completed around November, but the installation site has not yet been decided.

Meanwhile, the local Uruguayan daily El Observador reported that opinions are divided on this decision. Lobby Schindler, chairman of the Central Israelite Committee of Uruguay, welcomed the decision, saying, "We receive the government's surprising decision with joy," and added, "It is a much better situation than fearing it might be used inappropriately if auctioned off."

On the other hand, William Ray, former member of the Uruguayan National Cultural Heritage Committee, expressed his personal opinion, stating, "This cultural asset should not be altered," and added, "Since it is a testimony to a very important moment of the 20th century, I believe it should be preserved as it is."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.