The legend of the golden plow iron
The legend of the golden plow iron takes place in the 13th century in the vicinity of the city of Magdeburg .
Historical background
At the beginning of the 13th century, the city of Magdeburg only extended to Viktoriaplatz, today Ratswaageplatz. The hostel in which the legend takes place was at the time outside the city, in a northern suburb. Today the place is in the middle of the city at the address Breiter Weg 86 .
legend
When the new Archbishop Albrecht I moved in on Palm Sunday, there was a lot of activity in the city, as many foreigners had come to see the splendid and glamorous arrival. Things were livelier than usual in a hostel in a suburb north of Magdeburg. On that day, a poor journeyman craftsman named Kaspar also entered the hostel. However, he had no money for housing or to quench his hunger and thirst. The landlord's daughter Brigitte took care of him and gave him food and drink. As a deposit for the colliery, Kaspar left an old plow iron behind and promised to pay the colliery later.
Years passed and the army of Emperor Otto IV devastated the city's suburbs in his vengeance in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg . As a result of the rebuilding of the hostel, the landlord ran into large debts. He died shortly afterwards and Brigitte had to struggle with hardship and worries, but was able to continue running the hostel. As a reminder of better times, Brigitte picked up the plow iron.
One evening a young horseman entered the inn's room. He was handsome and greeted Brigitte warmly. He presented himself as Kaspar, who had done Brigitte good a few years ago and had come to pay his price as he had promised. He put a large coin on the table to pay his debts and announced that he would take the plow with him the next day. Brigitte then put the plow iron down behind the bar. It was there that her neighbor, who was an armorer , noticed . He took the plow in hand and was amazed at the unusual weight. Curious as a result, another daily guest examined the plow, who was a goldsmith . Both tried to secretly persuade Brigitte to let him handle the plow. But Brigitte explained that only the rider received the plow iron. A short time later, Kaspar went back into the taproom and Brigitte told him about the strange behavior of the two. Laughing, Kaspar asked the armourer and the goldsmith what they were willing to pay for the old plow iron. There was a bid for the plow, in which a freshly arrived stranger got in and made a bid for a thousand gold pieces. The stranger had recognized the value of the plow iron at a glance, for it was made of pure gold . An expert was then called in to estimate the gold plow to be worth three thousand gold guilders .
By selling the golden plow iron, Kaspar became a rich man. He gave up riding and took Brigitte to his wife. They had a new one built on the site of the old hostel and a picture of a golden plow iron was placed above the door as a house sign.
literature
- W. Leinung and R. Steinvoll: From Magdeburg's legend and history . Julius Namann Publishing House, 1894.
Individual proof
- ↑ Time travel: Breiter Weg / Ratswaageplatz. Magdeburg Compact, accessed on March 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Breiter Weg 86. pp. 207–209 , accessed on March 24, 2020 .