User:The C of E/sign

The Fucking sign is the placename sign outside the village of Fucking, Upper Austria, Austria. It is apparently the most stolen street sign in the world.

History
The sign is a Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals standard sign bearing the name of "Fucking". The sign became popular with English speaking tourists after the Second World War as British and American soldiers in stationed in Allied-occupied Austria came upon the town and were photographed in front of the sign in amusing poses. As a result the town received an increase in tourists visiting Fucking, with a number of them having themselves photographed indulging in sexual intercourse in front of the Fucking sign.

Thefts
Gradually the signs became subject of numerous successful thefts, with it once occurring 15 times in one year. The majority of the thefts are alleged to have be done by British people, who make up the majority of the tourists who visit Fucking. These thefts required the Fucking signs to be replaced at a cost of €300 each time. The cost of these regular replacements are passed onto the Fucking taxpayers. The sign eventually became the most stolen street sign in the world and some websites offered advice on how to steal the sign. As a result, the Fucking residents voted in 1996 on changing the village's name after soldiers from the United States Army installations in Germany drove across the Germany-Austria border in order to take photos in front of the Fucking sign. However the motion was unsuccessful, and the traditional name was kept.

Instead, Fucking officials welded the signs to the signposts and encased the base in concrete to try and make the sign theft-proof. In 2009, CCTV was also installed to prevent the signs being stolen. Previously a resident sold merchandise with the sign on it. However, he stopped selling them following abuse from Fucking residents.

The sign made a list of ten commonly stolen street signs.