Franc Hofgarten didn't come from a woodcarver's workshop. He actually came from a nearby Kisssenfabrik, aka a pillow factory, and he wears this laidback distinction like a badge of honor. Where the other gnomes are carved, Franc is carefully crafted from fabric. He shifts his seat on the park bench, smells the blooms, and watches the world go by along Beck Street. More than one visitor has spotted this limber gnome enjoying the sounds of nature and watching the beautiful plants swaying in the breeze.

Franc enjoys being different, and German Village has always given him good reason to. This neighborhood has spent 150 years making sure people who don't fit the mold feel exactly at home — and Franc, the one gnome in the village who isn't made of wood, fits right in because of it. He spends his days among the flowers and his evenings listening to concerts in the park. Listen carefully and you just might hear Franc whistling a happy tune, or humming with the birds and the bees while always being thoroughly pleased with himself.