Korean totem pole
The pole must be a Jangseung, which according to Wikipedia, are traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark for village boundaries and frighten away demons. They were also worshipped as village tutelary deities.
The photo was taken before the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Europe on the universtiy campus in Saarbrücken. The institute is currently expanding and constructing a second building next to this one. We have more than just closed pitheads and steelworks in Saarland.
