Enough of the F***ing mockery! Austrian village changes name

North of Salzburg and near the German border, stands an Austrian village that traces its name back to the 11th century. While most regions take pride in such a centuries-old heritage, this town is quite tired of it. The name of the town, which resembles the English swear word, has officially been changed from F***ing to Fugging.  

Given the tendency of wacky names and pictures to go viral in the age of social media, residents could not bear the mockery anymore. English-speaking tourists would stop to click pictures by the signpost at the village entrance and post them online. The ridicule was not limited to the internet; the town routinely saw its signposts being stolen. According to the decision, which was taken in a municipal council meeting, the village of nearly 100 people will be known as Fugging from January 1, 2021.

“I can confirm that the village is being renamed,” the Guardian quoted Andrea Holzner, the mayor of Tarsdorf as saying. “I really don’t want to say anything more – we’ve had enough media frenzy about this in the past,” she told the regional daily Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (OOeN).