Lällenkönig

Lällenkönig based on the design by Rosa Bratteler with flexible eyes and tongue

Lallen king made of stone

The Lällekönig or Lällenkönig is a larger than life head made of painted copper sheet with a crown. The original was attached to the Basel Rheintor by the Mittlere Brücke and stuck out its tongue to the newcomers. He had a mechanism that made him roll his eyes four times a minute and stick his tongue out, which is what gave it its name: "Lälli" is a Basel German word for tongue. The mechanism was originally driven by the clockwork of the tower, later the king received its own drive. Over time, the Lällekönig became something of a city landmark.

The date and occasion of the creation of the Lällekönig are unknown; it is first recorded in 1658. Its original meaning is also unknown; it may well be that it was just a joke with no deeper meaning. Later interpretations, such as the one that he stuck out his tongue at Kleinbasel, are probably to be referred to the land of legends.

During the Helvetic era , all signs of the old rule were banned from public space, and since the Lällekönig was a king, he too was removed. After the Treaty of Lunéville on February 9, 1801, conservative forces hoped for a return to the old order, and the Lällekönig was back in his old place overnight. Who was responsible for this action remained unknown; but it was definitely a serious provocation that caused quite a stir. The Lällekönig was removed immediately. In the mediation period after 1803 it was then re-attached. When the Rhine Gate was demolished in 1839, the Lällekönig ended up in the Historical Museum , where it has been located ever since.

In 1914, a motionless stone king was attached to the facade of Schifflände 1 across from the Middle Bridge. In 1941, based on a design by Rosa Bratteler, a movable Lällekönig was added, which, like the original, rolls its eyes and sticks out its tongue. However, it is not a copy of the original, but an independent draft. This head is above the entrance to the restaurant there and is still working.

Relatives of the Lällenkönig

Rhine ship "Lällekönig"

• The motor ship Lällekönig is a boat of the Basler Personenschifffahrt .
• The Lälli clique is a clique during the Basel Carnival .
• The Lällequeens are a Basel women's lacrosse team.

literature

• Albert Spycher: The Basel Lällenkönig, his neighbors, friends and relatives. Helbing and Lichtenhahn, Basel 1987, ISBN 3-7190-0985-8 .

Web links

• Lällenkönig at altbasel.ch

Footnotes

1. ↑ Naturally, the "Verbose-German" of the dialect word is not unambiguous.