Gävlebocken
The Gävlebocken (German: Christmas goat from Gävle ) are two yule rams that are set up every December on the Slottstorget square in Gävle. The first figure made of straw is put up on the first Sunday of Advent. The big Christmas goat is supported by the municipality of Arbeterbaldet, Eje Berglund AB and Gävle centrumsamverkan (formerly: Söder Köpmän). The Christmas goat is destroyed by arson in most years.
The second, smaller Christmas goat is run by the Natural Science Association of the Vasaskolan School.
history
The first Christmas goat was built in 1966 at the instigation of advertising expert Stig Gavlén as an oversized variant of the traditional Yule goat. Construction and design were carried out by Jörgen Gavlén, the head of the municipal fire department and brother Sig Gavléns. The construction of the goat was carried out by the fire brigade until 1977 and from 1986 to 2002. The first goat, financed by Harry Ström, was 13 meters high, seven meters long and weighed three tons. At the turn of the year 1966/1967 the construction caught fire. The perpetrator was identified and convicted of property damage.
Since then, the big and small goats have regularly been the target of vandalism, which manifests itself not only in arson, but also in attempted and partially executed overturning of the goat.
Arson
The Christmas fountains are burned down almost every year. The series of arson attacks gave the Christmas goats z. T. international media attention. The perpetrators identified were prosecuted for property damage and arson.
Various countermeasures are being taken to prevent the arson. The goats themselves are impregnated and monitored by guards and webcams. In 2006, the year of the first impregnation, the goat was undamaged apart from an attempted but unsuccessful arson. After complaints about the appearance of the impregnation agent, the goat was no longer impregnated in 2008. In 2010, a professional security guard was hired. Stuffed animals in the form of Christmas goats have been sold since 2011, the proceeds of which are used to finance the guarding.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Gävlebockens historia ( Memento of the original dated December 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Website of the tourist office of Gävle
- ↑ Christmas 2012: The Swedish goat that takes Christmas by the horns - Telegraph . In: The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ Gävlebocken fick uppleva julafton ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Metro, December 31, 2014
- ↑ Julbocken invigdes , Aftonbladet, November 28, 2010
