Rathaus-Glockenspiel

Everybody has seen a clock. Unless they're from the future where I'm sure only digital clocks work and even a simple wall clock doesn't exist. Other than that, we have all seen or heard any sort of clock. But did you know that there is a 260 foot clock tower that tells more than one story? In Marienplatz, Munich there is a clock tower called the Rathaus-Glockenspiel that holds 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. These mechanical puppets take part in acting out two historical events that took place in Munich. The Glockenspiel was built in 1908 and managed to dodge any critical damage during World War II, although the clock's tune was lost until it was touched up in 2007. The tower goes off daily at 11 AM, with some shows at noon and 5 PM during the summer. Each show lasts about 12-15 minutes and ends when a small and golden bird chirps at the top of the tower. The top portion of this two-part clock tells the story if Bavarion Duke WIlhelm V's marriage in 1568. The life sized yet mechanical jousters reenact the royal joust that took place during the wedding party that lasted two weeks with thousands of revelers, or people who enjoyed themselves rather loudly, as party guests. The knight in blue represents Bavaria and Lothingren in red. On the bottom half of the Glockenspiel, mechanical coopers, or barrel makers, dance for Schafflerstanz, which means cooper dance. The story is that during the end of the 1517 plague coopers would take part in a foot slapping dance. This led the residents to come back into the streets and forget about their fear. Because of this historical event, every seven years live dancers will reenact Schafflerstanz at the festival of Fasching, the most recent reenactment being in 2012.