from Hacker News

Untergunther – Restoration of the Pantheon clock (2007)

by louismerlin on 4/10/24, 5:10 AM with 15 comments

  • by DontBreakAlex on 4/11/24, 12:32 PM

    The leadership of the monument changed in 2018 and they hired the guy to finish the restoration: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/12-ans-apres-sa-res... (In French)

  • by lb1lf on 4/11/24, 7:37 AM

    Stories like this restores my faith in humanity.

    Using skill and irreverence for the common good, making the restoration basically a piece of performance art in itself.

    I'd buy the UnterGünthers a beer.

  • by seabass-labrax on 4/11/24, 10:10 AM

    I think it's wonderful that people are restoring public objects of historical value, but nowhere does the article explain why this has to be clandestine.

    The article says that Monum's leadership didn't want to publicise the repair, but why would they? It would be a tacit admission that illegal entry into protected historical sites is justifiable for the purpose of 'guerilla restoration' - wherever such a position is valid or not, endorsing it would indeed compromise Monum and similar organisations. Monsieur Jeannot was surely right in this regard.

    That leaves me wondering why simply asking wasn't an option. Are Monum really so resistant to offers of restoration that a few phone calls and a press release couldn't have done the job, saving both sides a lawsuit?

  • by rawling on 4/11/24, 10:38 AM

  • by basementcat on 4/11/24, 10:21 AM

    2012 Wired magazine article about the group. https://www.wired.com/story/the-new-french-underground/