Chancellor's wax double unveiled in Berlin

Visitors to Berlin hoping to catch a glimpse of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may have to settle for the next best thing — a wax sculpture of the 64-year-old former finance minister.

The wax figure which is set to go on display in the Madame Tussauds Berlin wax museum was unveiled outside the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin on Wednesday.

Seeing double

Sporting the hint of a smile, the wax figure weighs just 35kg but like the chancellor, stands at a height of 1.70 meters (roughly 5 foot 7 inches) tall, and is dressed in a stately suit and tie.

According to Madame Tussauds, the reproduction of the German chancellor began the day he was sworn into office on the December 8, 2021.

Twenty artists are understood to have worked on the figure with measurements having to be made by way of video and photographs — Scholz was unable to attend a measurement session.

Shortly after the figure was unveiled, onlookers had the opportunity to be photographed next to Scholz's wax double.

Following its display at the Reichstag, those wishing to see chancellor's likeness in the flesh can flock to the wax museum where notable "residents" include predecessor Angela Merkel, former US President Barack Obama, the late former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and late former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, among others.

kb/msh (dpa,AFP)

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