St. John of Nepomuk Statue, Urfahr Bridgehead, Linz

Linz's oldest Nepomuk statue. Created in 1704 by Johann Joseph Wanscher to fulfill a vow made by the chief toll collector Martin Fortunat Ehrmann von Falkenau and his wife for their niche decorated with frescoes. Last restored by sculptor Helmut Grubauer in 1980. Re-erected on the Urfahr bridgehead in 1969. Like almost all other Nepomuk statues in the city, this one has changed its location several times. For a long time it stood at the beginning of the Lower Danube bank.

John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomucky) was a Bohemian priest and martyr who was born around 1350 AD in Pomuk near Pilsen. In 1393 he was thrown from the Charles Bridge in Prague into the Vltava and drowned. At that time, Bohemia was very much Protestant. The Jesuits made him their second patron saint. Nepomuk is considered a bridge saint, which is why he is also placed on the Nibelungen Bridge.

Along with crosses and the Virgin Mary, Saint Nepomuk is one of the Catholic icons most commonly found outside of churches. Statues of the saint are often found on or next to bridges - somewhat macabre, as he owes his martyr status to his violent fall from one of these to his death.