A statue of Maimonides in the Spanish city of Córdoba was vandalized with a swastika spray-painted on its base, Spanish media reported. Authorities have not yet announced whether any suspects have been identified in connection with the vandalism.
According to the reports, the Nazi symbol was painted on the base of the bronze statue in Plaza de Tiberíades, in Córdoba’s historic Jewish quarter.
The square is considered one of the city’s main attractions and is a regular stop on tourist routes. The statue commemorates Maimonides, who was born in Córdoba in 1138 and is regarded as one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of the Middle Ages.
A physician, rabbi and philosopher, his influence remains deeply felt in Jewish thought, philosophy and medicine. The monument was created in 1964 by Spanish sculptor Amadeo Ruiz Olmos to mark 760 years since Maimonides’ death. It was inaugurated as part of cultural events dedicated to Spain’s Jewish heritage. The statue underwent restoration and conservation work in 2009.
Maimonides
According to the reports, officials previously considered placing a replica of the monument in Tiberias, where Maimonides is buried. The initiative was ultimately abandoned following opposition from rabbis and local Orthodox figures.
Barcelona’s Jewish community condemned the incident. “Defacing his statue with a Nazi symbol is an attack on our shared history, on the Golden Age, on our culture and on the values of knowledge, freedom and coexistence that his legacy represents,” the community said. “Hatred will never overcome culture.”