It's about
The town of Feuchtwangen has 87 districts. There are many legends and tales to be told about the Feuchtwanger Land region.
Founding of Feuchtwangen legend
The most famous story of the Feuchtwanger Land region is the legend of the founding of Feuchtwangen. According to the legend, Emperor Charlemagne and his entourage were hunting in the region when the emperor got lost in the forest and became tormented by thirst. Then he saw a dove take off and following it towards this place, he came to a spring. Reinvigorated, he soon found his hunting entourage. As a mark of gratitude to God, he built a church and monastery near the spring, which makes him the founder of the town of Feuchtwangen.
The story of the Feuchtwangen Siskin
The people of the surrounding villages nicknamed the residents of Feuchtwangen Siskin Catchers (Zeiselesfanger). According to legend, the mayor's siskin once escaped from its cage and he ordered the city gates to be closed. Everyone was chasing the bird, but it flew over the city wall and the "clever people of Feuchtwangen" lost out.
Kühnhardt am Schlegel
The maypole that stands in the middle of Kühnhardt is actually called a Hahnenbaum (roosterpole). The village youth used to dance around the pole for the prize of a rooster. Traditionally, a new pole could only be put up when the old pole had fallen down by itself. However, the pole only gained greater importance through the mallet that hangs from it. Centuries ago, Kreßberg shepherds were allowed to let their sheep graze in the Kühnhardt corridor. However, when the Kühnhardt farmers wanted to set up their own sheep farm, they naturally no longer wanted this. However, the Kreßberg shepherds were unwilling to abandon their tradition. Eventually, it was agreed that the Kreßberg shepherds were allowed to let their sheep graze in the Kühnhardt fields until they saw the top of the pole. In recognition of the settlement, the men of Kreßberg donated a mallet to the Künhardt farmers. This mallet became Künhardt's landmark and is still the pride of the village today. In bygone days, this oak block was used to clear the path to church and school in Mosbach during snowy winters.
The tree and the mallet still have a firm place in the village's customs. The raising of the tree and attaching the mallet is proudly celebrated by the whole village.
The people of Dorfgütingen invented smoked meat
The Thirty Years' War made life difficult for people in the Feuchtwanger Land region. The villagers often had to flee their homes in haste and seek shelter in the nearby forests. Those fleeing included the people of Dorfgütingen. Once when fleeing their village, they decided to hang their salted meat in the chimneys so that the hungry soldiers would not find it. The soldiers helped themselves to the remaining food supplies and let the chimneys smoke every day. When the people of Dorfgütingen were finally able to return to their village and checked their meat supplies in the chimneys, they looked utterly unappetising: sooty and black. But being very hungry, they cut the meat and tasted it. Lo and behold, the meat tasted better than before! From that day on, they smoked part of their slaughtered meat every year. This is how smoked meat was born.
Hehopp - the headless horseman
The Hehopp is a horseman without a head. He is called "Hehopp" after his reputation. If you're alone in the woods at night and yell "Heopp!", it can happen that the ghostly rider joins you and rides alongside you in silence, or you may get a slap in the face out of the blue. According to the legend, anyone who dares to speak a single word to the Hehopp disappears, never to be seen again.