Poznań, the fifth-largest city in Poland, is famous for its charming old town, colorful Renaissance-style buildings, and a town clock where mechanical goats bump their heads at noon. It’s also known for St. Martin’s croissants, which are enjoyed all over Poland. But Poznań has a very strange tradition that might seem puzzling to visitors who witness it for the first time.
“Foolish Device”
A couple minutes before the clock strikes noon on the Old Market Square, people start gathering. Some of them choose the quietest spots on the terraces, enjoying a coffee in the meantime. Others, line up in front of the Town Hall as if it were a movie theatre. The children took their places in a row on the ground. Almost everyone is armed with smartphones or expensive cameras, eagerly waiting. Only the native Poznanians walk briskly around this spectacle without paying the slightest bit of attention to it.
A single moment before noon, photo-lenses and smartphones are raised, waiting eagerly. Finally, the bugle call sounds, and all conversations fall silent. Small doors on the facade of the Town Hall open, revealing two metal goats with horns, to the crowd below. After the goats butt heads twelve times, they retreat back behind the green door in their tower.
“That’s it? I could have stayed longer in the playground!” one child shouts indignantly. Suddenly a “Shh,” arises from the crowd as an embarrassed kindergarten teacher shushes him into silence. (disgruntled)
To be honest, probably everyone in this gathering crowd thinks the same. But if you are in Poznań, it would almost be a sin not to see this “foolish” but charming device, like a giant Cuckoo Clock, only with Billy goats.
The legend behind the mechanical goats.
In the city of Poznań, there was a huge fire that destroyed the Town Hall building. The mayor ordered the Town Hall to be rebuilt with a special clock added to the front. The town council held a large party to celebrate the opening of the new building. They invited many guests from the region and planned an elaborate feast.
There was a young cook named Pietrek who was placed in charge of the main dish—a leg of venison. While the meat was cooking, Pietrek took a break to step out and have a look at the new clock on the Town Hall building. When he returned to his roast, he discovered that the meat had fallen into the fire, burned to a crisp, and was completely inedible!
The young cook was desperate. There was no more venison to be found in the kitchen, so he took off, in search of something to use as a replacement. He ran to a nearby field where many townspeople kept their animals. There, Pietrek stole two Billy goats and brought them back to the Town Hall kitchen.
Once they arrived in the kitchen, the goats escaped from Pietrek and they took off in the direction of the stairs, eventually reappearing from the top of the Town Hall turret. In the market square below, many important guests were gathered to celebrate the festivities. All of a sudden, they looked up at the top of the Town Hall, to witness the two Billy goats fighting and butting heads. Everyone in attendance, including the mayor, found this event hilarious!
Thankfully, the mayor ended up pardoning Pietrek. He found the whole ordeal so humorous that he asked for a pair of goats to be added to the clock (similar to a cuckoo clock). The mechanism on the clock was designed to activate every day, so at noon, the two goats appear and butt heads 12 times to mark the midday hour. At noon, a trumpeter appears at the top of the Town Hall and plays a bugle call, which is when the two goats appear!
Sources
Elizabeth. (n.d.). The Story Behind the Poznan Goats. Key to Poland. https://keytopoland.com/post/story-of-the-poznan-goats
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