Oye! Oye! What Does the Town Crier Have to Say?

der Ausscheller
Photo by Bliss Poppet

I recently started my latest long-distance hike, the Nibelungensteig, and, while the official start of the trail is in Zwingenberg on the Bergstrasse, there are three "feeder paths" which start at the edge of the Rhine in the Hessian Ried part of the Odenwald park. The Hessian-Ried, lying between the Rhine River to the west and the Bergstrasse to the east, is not the most interesting place for a walk, as it's flat, low-lying agricultural land, but because I'm writing a guide for the trail, I felt it had to be done. 

About six kilometers into the walk, the path took me to the little village of Hofheim-Lampertheim. Hofheim, with a population of about 5,200 inhabitants, is thought to have been founded in Frankish times, during the 5th or 6th century. Though a small village, it boasts an outstanding 18th-century parish church, St. Micheal, which was built by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann, as well as an historic town hall, also from the 18th century.

The town hall is an attractive little building with a plaque attached to the outside wall, detailing certain historic events which have occurred in the region and had an impact on the building itself (or buildings as it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times). The plaque mentions the town hall's destruction at the hands of Spanish troops during the Thirty Years War and then, later, by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars. The sign also details different events concerning the construction and renovation of the building, and while these events are interesting, what really caught my eye was the nearby statue of a man holding a bell and a sheet of paper.  

Historic Town Hall
Photo by Bliss Poppet

The plaque describes the man as an "Ausscheller", a term I had never heard. After a bit of internet investigation, I learned that an Ausscheller is actually a town crier. The plaque goes on to detail a bit about the terms of the Ausscheller's employment and some of the news he may have announced. One of his announcements I found to be quite amusing. Here is a rough translation of the information on the sign:

"The Ausscheller was a full or part-time employee of the community whose job it was to spread official announcements or other matters in the village. At various intersections or street corners, he announced himself by ringing a loud bell, and he would then deliver the respective news. Examples of announcements he might make were that the electricity or water would be turned off or that, on Monday, no one would be allowed to defecate in the stream since Tuesday was wash day. The loud bell would ring out clearly, and many people would gather around the crier, curious as to what he had to report."

So now you, like I, know what an Ausscheller is.  

If you wish to see the statue yourself or visit the town hall or Neumann's single-nave, baroque church, take a drive, train journey or a (rather flat) walk over to the village of Hofheim near the Rhine. 

Balthasar Neumann's Baroque Church in Hofheim
Roland Hahn - Selbst fotografiert, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63448752