New phallus sculpture appears in Bavarian mountains

 BERLIN (AP) — Just days after a large phallus sculpture mysteriously disappeared from a Bavarian mountainside, a similar wooden carving has appeared in its place, German news agency dpa reported Thursday.

The saga began several years ago, when a 2-meter-tall (almost 7-foot) tall sculpture appeared on the 1,738-meter (5,702-foot) high Gruenten mountain in southern Germany.

It quickly became a selfie magnet for hikers and even featured on Google Maps, where it was described as a “cultural monument.”

The sculpture toppled over several weeks ago, only to be erected again. Last weekend it vanished entirely, with only a pile of sawdust left behind.

Even as local police probe the disappearance, the tale took a further twist Thursday with the discovery that a new, slightly larger carving of male genitalia had appeared at the site, propped up with wooden beams.