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A row over the disappearance of a famous river surfing wave in Munich has escalated after authorities removed a beam inserted over Christmas to recreate the attraction.
The Eisbach wave on a side branch of the Isar River had been a landmark in the Bavarian city since the 1980s but it vanished in October after annual cleanup work along the riverbed.
Activists had placed a beam in the water early on 25 December to partially recreate the wave, according to German media reports, and hung a banner above the water that read “Merry Christmas”.
But a spokesperson for the Munich fire service told Agence France-Presse that the “installation” was removed on Sunday at the request of city authorities.
Activists have made several attempts to reinstate the wave in the city’s Englischer Garten park since October – only to see those efforts reversed.
The local surfers’ association Interessengemeinschaft Surfen in München (IGSM) on Thursday posted a statement on its website saying it had abandoned its campaign to save the wave, accusing city authorities of dragging their feet.
The Eisbach wave was considered the largest and most consistent river wave in the heart of a big city and had become a tourist attraction in Bavaria’s state capital.
Franz Fasel, the head of the IGSM, told AFP in July that 3,000 to 5,000 local surfers were using it.
Access to the wave was cut off for several months this year after the death of a 33-year-old resident who became trapped under the surface while surfing at night.
