VIDEO: Unique stone Mercedes monument in Croatian town of Imotski takes shape

(Illustration)

The Mercedes vehicle has been the symbol of the Croatian town of Imotski in the Dalmatian Hinterland thanks to the large number of them on the streets.

The density of Mercedes-Benz vehicles is higher than anywhere in the world. Out of 20,000 registered vehicles in Imotski, 13,000 of them were Mercedes back in 2018. Even the driving schools in Imotski have Mercedes cars.

The reason? An agreement with Germany back in the 1960s when a large number of Imotski locals would head off to work and then return back home with a Mercedes-Benz as the car was seen as a symbol of success. 

Now, a Mercedes monument, with the approval of the German car manufacturer, is set to grace Imotski.

The monument will be a faithful stone replica of the Mercedes 115 in its natural size, a model from the 1970s, just like the ones Imotski people drove when returning home from work in Germany.

The long-awaited realisation of the project to erect a stone monument to Imotski guest workers through the “likeness” of the iconic Mercedes 115 is entering its final phase, daily Večernji list said. 

Expertly crafted parts of the popular Mercedes have been created in the workshop of the sculptor Mislav Rebić. At the start of next month, almost all parts of the stone replica of the Mercedes will be assembled at the monument’s location.

A few days ago, as part of the project, an art and sculpture colony organised by the young and talented artist Roko Rebić began, gathering students from art academies from Croatia and abroad.

The initiative to set up the monument originated from a great enthusiast and collector, Ivan Topić Note, who decided to immortalise the era of Imotski people through their guest work in Germany.

Check out the video below: