The Wächterin (“Guardian”) stands sentinel on the Ringstrasse, on the lawn in front of the Burgtheater. The vulture-like sculpture was created by the modern artist Ulrike Truger in A.D. 1988. Soon after she finished the work, a series of letter bombs hit Austria. People who spoke out for immigrants were targeted. One of Truger’s fellow Styrians, a priest named August Janische, was injured. In A.D. 1993, Truger dedicated this sculpture to him.
The Wächterin was initially installed in front of the Burgtheater without permission, as Truger’s protest against the conservative Black & Blue Coalition. On her website, it is labelled as a symbol of respect for human dignity.
