The long-suffering residents of the small Austrian village of Fucking have confirmed that, from January 1, the town will be known as Fugging. Fans of unusual place-names will mourn the loss.
The tiny village north of Salzburg, with a population of just over 100, has become something of an attraction because of its name, with road signs regularly stolen.
According to Kurier, annoyed locals tried to stop this from happening by encasing the bottom of the signs in concrete.
“I am confirming that it has in fact been decided by the local council,” Tarsdorf Mayor Andrea Holzner told Reuters. “I will not say any more about it.”
Fugging apparently better reflects the pronunciation of the town by locals. The name change is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2021, according to the city government.
In 2018, the adult site Pornhub announced that it would grant premium access to residents of several sexually suggestive communities, including Fucking, Austria, Big Beaver, Pennsylvania, and Titz, Germany. It’s unclear how many Fucking residents actually took the site up on its offer, or if they’ll be able to keep the benefits once the name has changed.
The community dates back to at least 1070 and is named for a man named Focko from the 6th century. However, it has become increasingly well-known in the English world, especially with the rise of the internet.
No news has yet emerged about possible name changes to the nearby hamlets of Oberfucking and Unterfucking.
