Art clock by Josef Greß
The art clock by Josef Greß in the district of Stephanskirchen (Bavaria) is the world's largest art clock and at the same time the only art clock in which all elements can also be triggered individually by hand. 50 hand-carved figures are part of the clock, which form several groups of figures. Of the total of 14 dials, four show the time in the largest cities in Germany, Austria and France, two the date and month and the other four the year and leap years. Although time goes on, the backward running second hand on the perpetual calendar symbolizes that human life is getting shorter and shorter from birth.
history
The world's largest art clock is in an extension of an inn in Baierbach near Stephanskirchen am Simssee in the Rosenheim district . It was built from 1879 to 1881 by the farmer's son Josef Greß from Trosendorf , Waldmünchen in the Upper Palatinate. There are numerous anecdotes about this designer of the world clock, Josef Greß (locksmith and watchmaker autodidact).
It took Josef Greß almost three years to build the clock. During this time, the clock was created in almost complete isolation from the outside world. According to legend, it is said to have walled itself in at times. Only Josef Greß's brother, Baptist Greß, provided him with material and food. The builder could only enjoy his work of art for a short time. Allegedly, when the work was completed, he was taken to a mental hospital. What is certain is that he and later his brother Baptist wandered from fair to fair with the art clock for a few years. Josef Greß himself was not even 27 years old. After his death, his brother Baptist Greß kept going from fair to fair with his watch, accompanied by the man with the longest beard in the world. Ludwig Hartinger, a former miner from Hohenpeißenberg , discovered the dismantled art clock while collecting scrap metal in a storage room in Friedberg near Augsburg. For a while he exhibited them mainly in Swabian. The world clock came to Wiechs (Bad Feilnbach) via Augsburg, Munich and Hohenpeißenberg .
Brief description
The clock is five meters wide, three meters high and weighs 1,250 kg (25 quintals). It contains 14 dials, 50 figures and is assembled from 470 wheels and gears. The 14 dials are divided as follows: four dials show the time of the largest cities in Germany, Austria and France, two show the date and month, four show the season and four show the number of leap years. So that the clock does not lose its rhythm because of February 29th, it is "preprogrammed" up to the year 10,000. It shows the time, day, month, year, leap year, zodiac sign, position of the sun, moon phase and season. Furthermore, the suffering of Christ is represented in 14 stations, Christ and the 12 apostles and seven pagan deities.
The individual groups of figures
A group of figures shows the four ages , from children to old men . Right next door is Death , which strikes the full hour after the old man's appearance. Morning and evening, a ringing bell-ringer 's bell. An elderly person also sinks on his knees in prayer. Other figures are the minute and quarter bats , the seven pagan deities , of whom a different one appears every day. Further groups are those of the four seasons with the corresponding figures and the group of the twelve zodiac signs , each of which remains visible for a month, also the globe , which rotates around its axis every 24 hours, as well as the sun and moon , which like the stars rise and set according to precise astronomical forecast.
The sufferings of Christ are represented with a total of 14 stations and appear on the seven days of the week. Every twelve hours the apostles walk past Christ, everyone bowing to him with the exception of Judas. An oversized rooster was designed to flap its wings, raise its neck and head, and open its beak. When the apostles pass Christ, he crows three times ("Before the rooster crows, you will have denied me three times ...").
See also
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 51 ′ 36.2 " N , 12 ° 12 ′ 14.5" E