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Kraichgau falcons vs ulm sparrows 05 2009
The Ulm Sparrow (Ger. Ulmer Spatz) is a landmark in, and symbol of, the German city of Ulm.
Contents
- Kraichgau falcons vs ulm sparrows 05 2009
- Regensburg royals jugend vs ulm sparrows spring 1991 part 1
- The legends origin
- References
According to legend, the inhabitants of Ulm needed a particularly large beam for the construction of Ulm Minster, but could not get it through the city gate. As they were about to tear the gate down, they noticed a sparrow carrying a straw for its nest; which turned it from crosswise to lengthwise in its beak. Realisation dawned on the people of Ulm, who have ever since placed long loads along rather than across their carts.
The legend is first recorded in an 1842 poem by Carl Hertzog.
Regensburg royals jugend vs ulm sparrows spring 1991 part 1
The legend's origin
The figure on the nave of Ulm Minster was donated by wealthy citizens. It is not a sparrow, but a dove carrying an olive branch in its beak, as in the biblical story of Noah's Ark. It is small in relation to the building, and only easily visible from the tower. Over time, the inhabitants came to refer to it mockingly as a sparrow, and the legend grew from there.