Love padlocks

Love padlocks (also known as Love Locks) are a custom by which padlocks are affixed to a fence, gate, bridge or similar public fixture by sweethearts to symbolize their everlasting love.^[1]

History

Love padlocks have existed for quite some time, though there are no certain sources for their origin. In Europe, love padlocks started appearing in the early 2000s.^[2] The reasons love padlocks started to appear vary between locations, and in many instances are unsourced. However, in Rome, the ritual of affixing love padlocks to the bridge Ponte Milvio can be attributed to the book I Want You by Italian author Federico Moccia, who later made it into the film-adaptation Ho voglia di te.^[3][4]

Similarly, an attribution for the bridge Most Ljubavi (lit. the Bridge of Love—now named after the love padlocks) in Serbia exists, where they can be traced to even before World War I. A local schoolmistress named Nada, who was from Vrnjačka Banja, fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. After they committed to each other Relja went to war in Greece where he fell in love with a local woman from Corfu. As a consequence, Relja and Nada broke up their engagement. Nada never recovered from that devastating blow, and after some time she died as a result of her unfortunate love. As young girls from Vrnjačka Banja wanted to protect their own loves, they started writing down their names, together with the names of their loved ones, on padlocks and affixing them to the railings of the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet.^[5][6]

Controversies

In several countries the local authorities and owners of various landmarks have expressed concern and even tried to have the padlocks removed:

• In Paris Town Hall in May 2010 expressed concern over the growing number of love-locks on the Pont des Arts, Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor and the Pont de l'Archevêché bridges, stating: "they raise problems for the preservation of our architectural heritage". Lovelocks disappeared suddenly in 2010, but the Administration denied responsibility. The Pont de l'Archevêché saw the return of those love-locks immediately.^[2]
• Deutsche Bahn threatened to have the locks removed from the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. Deutsche Bahn is the bridge's operator, but in the end relented in the face of public opposition.^[7]
• In Canada love padlocks appearing along the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, has caused some diversion as the locks are considered a distraction from nature by some. Love padlocks were removed from the Humber Bridge in Toronto due to concerns over aesthetics and structural concerns if the Bridge were to become a love padlock destination. ^[8]
• In Florence, Italy, 5,500 love padlocks affixed to the Ponte Vecchio bridge were removed by the city council. According to the council the padlocks pose both an aesthetic problem as well as scratch and dent the metal of the bridge.^[9]

Legends and superstitions connected to love padlocks

On some locations the padlocks have been given special attributed of an almost legendary or superstitious character:

• In Fengyuan, Taiwan love padlocks affixed to an overpass at the city's train station are often affixed in pairs. These locks are known as "wish locks" and local legend holds that the magnetic field generated by trains passing underneath will cause energy to accumulate in the locks and fulfill the wishes.^[10]
• On a fountain in Montevideo in Uruguay, a plaque is affixed to the front of the fountain that provides an explanation in both English and Spanish. The English version of the text reads, "The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked."

References

1. ^ Enulescu, Dana (2007-03-01). "Rome mayor in 'love padlock' row". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6408635.stm. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Long, Louisa (2011-06-06). "Love-locks return to the bridges of Paris". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/lovelocks-return-to-the-bridges-of-paris-2293506.html. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
3. ^ Ian Fischer (2007-08-06), "In Rome, a New Ritual on an Old Bridge", New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/europe/06rome.html, retrieved 2010-08-09 
4. ^ Demetri, Justin (2008). "The Bridge of Love in Rome". Life in Italy .com. http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/lazio/milvian-bridge.asp. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
5. ^ "Most ljubavi" (in Serbian). Vrnjacka Banja. www.vrnjackabanja.co.rs. http://www.vrnjackabanja.co.rs/srpski/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&catid=12&Itemid=64. Retrieved 6 October 2010. 
6. ^ Ogrizović, Slobodan (22. April 2009). "Vrnjačka banja, najveće lečilište u Srbiji" (in Serbian). B92. http://www.b92.net/putovanja/destinacije/evropa.php?yyyy=2009&mm=04&dd=22&nav_category=823&nav_id=356735. Retrieved 2010-10-06. 
7. ^ Stolarz, Sarah (2009-09-02). "Cologne Gets a Lock on Love". Deutsche Welle. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4008316,00.html. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
8. ^ Aboelsaud, Yasmin (2011-01-06). "Accidental locks of love on Wild Pacific Trail". Westerly News. http://www2.canada.com/westerly/news/story.html?id=dfbfc1bc-6501-4258-9854-ad2afe035e68. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
9. ^ "Florence tries to stamp out locks of love". Italy Mag. 2006-05-01. http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/tuscany/florence-tries-stamp-out-locks-love. Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
10. ^ "‘Wish lock’ phenomenon attracts youth to Fengyuan". Taipei Times. 2009. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/06/08/2003445646. Retrieved 2009-12-06.