Fabled rescue 560 years ago – Neustadt / Aisch

Every lunchtime the billy goat grumbles from the town hall turret: a reminder of the literally fabulous rescue of Neustadt 560 years ago.

–
–
–

Troops of the Bavarian Wittelsbachers had besieged the city in 1461 with the aim of starving it and thus forcing it to give up. A plan thwarted by a resourceful tailor who climbed the city wall in billy goat skin, which led the enemy to suspect and withdraw plenty of food. So much for the fabulous rescue, which can also be found in a modified form in the chronicles of some other German cities.

In fact, however, the Wittelsbacher Neustadt had conquered, which Margrave Albrecht Achilles was only able to free from the occupiers later. But the presumed savior was to achieve timeless fame and become the symbol of the billy goat town. He can often be found in it, which encourages an exploration tour on historical paths to so-called “hidden places”.

The billy goat, which can be seen from afar, moaning its 12 o’clock lap on the town hall, always enjoys admiration and has achieved international fame. Neustadt’s fabulous rescue is staged no less spectacularly at the children’s festival at the Neustädter Kirchweih, which was celebrated for the 200th time in 2019 and always culminates with the billy goat dance.

From the tower of fools to the castle museums

And the Neustädter “billy goat carnival society” takes care of the wonderful story of the “resourceful little tailor”, which is well received. Be it with the lively goat at the “Narrenturm”, the splendid head at the Elferrat table or the descendants “Willis” at various festivities as well as in the petting gate on the “Old Track”, which is popular with children. The legendary savior can be found on medals and the symbolic town hall key, as well as on weather vanes, as sculptures on the city wall or as wrought-iron art and an original invitation to the castle museums.

So the city arouses curiosity to follow in the footsteps of billy goats and to discover the various representations of its landmark. The probably oldest is hidden with a relief carved in stone in the passage of the Nuremberg Gate leading out of the city. Pedestrians have to look very carefully, while the billy goat otherwise symbolically jumps towards them in many other places. 560 years of the legendary prank of the “hero in billy goat form”, the district town is bringing them back to their consciousness with its exploration tours to the “hidden places”.