Pforzheimers call this figure "the fat man" and it stands at the beginning of the pedestrian zone. It was made by Karl Henning Seemann and came to Pforzheim in 1984 as part of the "Art in the Cityscape" project.
The Fat man is a replica of a figure that stands in a group of figures in front of the Freiburg Music School. This group of figures is called "die Horchenden" (the listening).
The bronze plaque embedded in the ground refers to a fundraising campaign for the fat man; the money was collected after a little more than a year. The people of Pforzheim have virtually adopted the fat man.
The sculpture is about 2 metres tall. The remarkable thing is that the figure stands directly on the ground, without a pedestal, base plate or the like. Its surface is also continuous and you can feel the artist's work.
It is a popular meeting place and photo motif and many people stroke its belly as if it would bring good luck.
