Banksy's first work in Germany, "Bomb Hugger", was painted in 2002 on the occasion of the "Urban Discipline" festival in the Steinwegpassage (near Großneumarkt).

The history of the work in Hamburg is almost as unusual as the most famous street artist himself. To protect it from damage, a plexiglass panel was installed in front of the Banksy work in 2011. Four years later, unknown individuals sprayed the word "GRAFITTI" over it in blue paint, causing paint to run behind the panel and over the image. To protect it, the entire concrete pillar was then covered with wood and the work was restored in 2017.

During the restoration, an unknown person sprayed a copy of the Banksy image on a second pillar next to it, and when "Bomb Hugger" was back on public display, the word FAKE was sprayed in large letters under the original. Urban art lives on!

Source: @kunstflaneur_hamburg (Instagram)