There is a statue of Columbo (and his faithful sidekick, Dog) on Falk Miksa Street in Budapest, Hungary.
Yes, you read that correctly.
In his memoirs, Peter Falk noted that he may be a descendent of the Hungarian politician Miksa Falk, for whom the street is named. This connection has never been – and may now never be – established conclusively, but the urban legend has proved sufficient for the erection of this permanent reminder.
Appropriately, there is an air of mystery surrounding the Columbo statue. Unveiled in 2014, there is no clear intent to memorialise Falk himself (the actor died in 2011), nor the show. Rumours suggest it may have been an exercise in vote-winning ahead of a Hungarian election, but the impact of this statue on such a vote would not seem to be obvious. If only Columbo were around to tug at a few loose threads…
If any listeners visit the Columbo statue, please send us your photos and we’ll try to feature some here at columbopodcast.com
If you fancy taking up the Lieutenant’s mantle and solving the case? We’re all for that as well!
Send your Columbo statue photos and theories to [email protected] and we’ll share the best of them!