Cuckoo clocks have been around since at least the 17th century. Their production is centered around the Black Forest region of Germany. The two styles you see most often today are the older “nature” ones with five leaves and a bird on top, or the more recent chalet style. In addition to the cuckoo, they often have other moving figurines, whether it’s a couple kissing, two men hoisting beer steins, or dancers whirling in and out of the clock case. They can have mechanical wind-up clockworks or battery-operated with computer chips that mastermind the sounds and movements. Some silence themselves automatically at night, some require you to flip a silencing switch at bedtime. Some know a dozen songs, others only two. Although I won’t be buying one (they’re awfully expensive), I admire their artistry and imagination.
Montag Steins & Clocks Gmbh in Sankt Goar. The clock outside their store is the largest free-hanging cuckoo clock in the world.
The traditional style, leaves and a rabbit, unpainted. Authentic Black Forest cuckoo clocks are all hand-carved in the Black Forest region, although they may be hand-assembled elsewhere within Germany.
Chalet-style cuckoo clock. The store had more chalet-style than traditional ones, but this may be due to the wider variety of scenes that can be portrayed in front of the chalet. Beer-drinking scenes like this one are especially popular.
Cuckoo clocks can have a mechanism that requires winding on a daily basis, every 8 days, or can be powered by a battery. Cuckoo clocks have nighttime shutoff features for sound (so you won’t be awakened to the cuckoo’s cry) and some have music. Mechanical cuckoo clocks are louder than battery-operated ones, but can claim a richer, more acoustical sound.
I liked this woodsman and his dog. I must have plenty of company because the woodchipper is listed as one of Montag’s bestselling clocks.
This is Alfeld town hall. Its dancers above the clock face move in concert with the music while beer drinkers enjoy a stein of Germany’s finest brew out in front.
Sankt-Goar is located along the Rhine River between Rheinfels Castle to the north and the Loreley statue to the south. It is approximately 36 miles south of Koblenz.
Montag Steins and Clocks is located in central Sankt-Goar and is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
October 4, 2024