Condom inventor tribute riles officials

KONIN, Poland, March 9 (UPI) -- A giant condom placed on a statue as a tribute to the inventor of the latex condom in his Polish hometown has drawn the ire of local officials and Catholics.

The Action Konin group said it placed the plastic bag over the phallic fountain sculpture in Konin to mark the anniversary of latex condom inventor Julius Fromm's birth in 1883, Der Spiegel reported Wednesday.

"Not many know that right here in Konin, the inventor of the latex condom was brought into the world," Action Konin member Waldemar Duczmal said.

"We discovered him a year ago and tried to bring him to the attention of the town," Duczmal said. "When that was not successful, we came up with the idea for this event."

However, the tribute has drawn criticism from local officials including Deputy Mayor Dariusz Wilczewski, who described the group's actions as an embarrassment to the city.

The condom-wearing statue was also criticized by local Catholic leaders who said their religion does not approve of condom use.