Life-size footballer Gerd Müller, who died last summer, will soon be a bronze statue in his home town of Nördlingen. The statue of the FC Bayern star was made by the Aschaffenburg artist and sculptor Herbert Deiss. The memorial is intended to represent the world-class goalscorer, hailed as the “Bomber of the Nation”, at what is probably the most important goal of his career, the winning goal in the 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final in Munich’s Olympic Stadium.
Deiss has been working on the artwork since January. His clay model will be ready soon. After that, molds and impressions made of plaster, silicone and wax are necessary so that even hair can be seen in detail. “Challenging is the weight distribution, since Müller is only on one leg,” says Deiss. The actual bronze statue will be made in a bell and art foundry in Hesse.
However, the 70-year-old Deiss is not a Müller fan. For him, the project is a commissioned work that he received from the foundry. The idea for the statue came from the city of Nördlingen. The German Football Association (DFB), FC Bayern Munich and Müller’s home club TSV 1861 Nördlingen are also financially involved. The memorial is to be erected in Nördlingen on August 15 – the first anniversary of Müller’s death. Exactly where is still a matter of debate.
A citizens’ initiative has more than 1800 signatures
Many citizens in Nördlingen see it critically that the city does not want to set up the statue in the city center but in front of the city wall. The representatives of a citizens’ initiative are demanding that the memorial be erected in the former playground of the elementary school that Müller once attended. The building is now used as a cultural center and is less than 100 meters from the town hall. According to those responsible for the referendum, more than 1,800 signatures have been collected so far, only a little more than 1,400 are needed for a referendum. The collection of signatures has not yet officially ended.
Sculptor Deiss wants to stay out of the dispute. It is more important to him that Müller’s relatives approve of his statue. Therefore he sends them photos with intermediate steps of his work. Gerd Müller died last August at the age of 75. The former international came to Bayern Munich in 1964 and shaped an era. With the national team he was European champion in 1972 and world champion in 1974. After his career, he stayed with FC Bayern Munich as a youth coach for a long time.