The Madonna statue topping the Marienbrunnen is overlooking the market square in Ladenburg and has done so for centuries, or so you would think.

Not so, I found out. There was a statue of Maria on this spot in the 19th century. But a priest of the town wanted to enlarge the sculpture by adding a crucifition scene, and a lot of people in the town objected. In 1873 the existing statue was destroyed by unknowns. But the crucifixion scene never took shape.

Only in 1973 the madonna fountain was built, so just over 50 years ago.

Ragtag Daily Prompt: Radiate