Reward for Missing Gnomes

There are 400 missing garden gnomes in Vorarlberg. These are not regular garden gnomes, though. The Social Democrat Party used these garden gnomes in a political campaign for an election on September 21.

Members posted the garden gnomes, known as “Coolmen,” on lampposts 10 feet high with various signs in Rankweil and Bregenz. Reinhold Einwallner, a member of the Social Democrats, pointed his finger at rival group the Austrian People’s Party (OeVP).

“An interesting detail is that now OeVP [the conservative People’s Party] campaign posters are now hanging at the same height on many of these lampposts,” he said.

Einwallner said the garden gnomes are worth $3,958. The People’s Party denied involvement, but Einwallner said the party cannot sit back and allow the theft to roll off their backs. The party filed an official police complaint. There is a $1,320 reward for anyone with information about the garden gnomes.

The Social Democrats ordered 20,000 gnomes. Members will place more garden gnomes around the cities.