Eberbach Cuckoo Market

The Eberbach Cuckoo Market is a traditional folk festival in Eberbach am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It takes place annually over the long weekend around the last Sunday in August, from Friday to Tuesday. The name of the market has a curious history. The talking coat of arms of the town of Eberbach shows a cuckoo, which refers to the name and its visible interpretation. If the story were not backed up by a name and date, it could be dismissed as a prank.

In 1604, a respected physicist and physician named Hans Mantel lived in Eberbach. In addition to his work as a homeopath, he was a keen gourmet and bird hunter. One day he found an unusually large bird in his net.

It was a cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), which Mantel took with him on his way to a sick patient in nearby Wimmersbach. There, the local cook, Leonhard Schäfer, prepared the bird. Mantel received his reward, and the man from Eberbach enjoyed the unusual meal.

A curious Wimmersbacher asked what delicious dish the Eberbacher was eating. Mantel laughed and clarified: "That wasn't a pigeon, but a cuckoo - just a normal Gutzgauch!" The people of Eberbach took the mockery in their stride and even used the supposed nickname for their annual cuckoo market, which attracted numerous guests.