May I present to you?

This is our little house spirit! Although I don't have much to do with Bavaria, this little guy has been greeting visitors at the entry door of our house in Hamburg and here in Reno. I could not leave him behind when I moved. Many, mostly older Germans love these little dwarfs, "Gartenzwerge" and I always thought them rather "kitchy". But in the neighborhood where I used to live in Hamburg, there was a house with 327 dwarfs in the yard. They were the love of the owners, and because of their variety and number, the yard was visited by many. It just looked too pittoresque and funny!
One day, the owners must have died, the house was for sale and all the dwarfs were going to be tossed or destroyed. So I rang the doorbell and asked whether I could have one...I did not have a choice but was very happy that I could take one of them home. Even if it might be a little "unholy" to have a house spirit in Lederhosen and with a big glass of beer in his hands :-)