A devilish face on a facade that shamed the womanizing king (7 photos)
Imagine strolling leisurely down a cozy street in Gothenburg, Sweden, admiring the architecture. You look up, and a horned face grins at you from the facade. Not an angel, not a lion. The devil himself. 
And it's not just there for show. Legend has it that it was an act of hidden protest. A local developer hung a demonic mask across from King Oscar II's secret apartment. 
Supposedly, King Oscar II, when in town, used an apartment on the second floor of the building across the street. There were no permanent residents there. However, rumor had it that ladies of high status would occasionally visit. Their silhouettes were spotted on the balcony. And in the morning, after a night of mischief, the king would look out into the street and find himself staring at a stone, horned face. 
Oscar II
It was installed, they say, by a developer with principles. A sort of moral protest. Wordless. Simply: "I see everything, Your Majesty." 
The apartment's occupants have long since changed. And the mask is no longer the same as it was during the king's lifetime. And the devil is still watching. And he has a twin. 
The original mask perished in the 1980s along with the old building. But locals decided: "Let's not bury the legend." During the construction of the new building, the devil's face was restored as an exact replica. Then a second one was added, a little further along the façade, for symmetry and clarity. 
To a casual passerby, there's no difference. Same horns. Same grin. The same reproach is directed at the balcony, where, rumor has it, King Oscar II once adjusted his crown before leaving. 
