Elwetritschen Hunting in Palatine

Elwetritschen or Elwedritschen (d and t sound alike in the local dialect anyway) are a species of bird-like creatures that are endemic to the forests and vineyards of Palatine. You will come across their traces everywhere, and if you keep your eyes open you may even spot some in Neustadt’s old town. They are very famous and subject to a lot of research in the field of tritschology. They are also known in the region called Oberpfalz in the Northeast of Bavaria, which used to be under Palatinate rule, and in some parts of the USA that have a lot of inhabitants with Palatinate roots. Probably the first immigrants from Palatine brought some with them across the Atlantic.

Elwetritschen are crosses between chickens, geese or ducks with elves and goblins. Due to their goblin ancestry, their eggs grow with the development of the chick. They are mostly nocturnal and feed on grapes, that’s why vineyard owners are not too happy about them.

On the other hand, they are said to be extremely tasty. Any caught Elwetritsche ends up in the cooking pot or on the grill immediately. That explains why no photos of them exist.

Elwetritschen hunting is always done in the darkness of the night, best after the consumption of a certain amount of local wine. The birds are very shy but at the same time very curious. You need a lantern to attract their attention. They will come and look. One of the hunters has to hold an open sack while his mates act as drovers and make noise in the forest around him. The frightened Elwetritschen will then hop into the sack to seek a dark refuge, and all it takes is closing the sack and carrying them home.

In other words, be prepared for everything if you are invited to go on an Elwetritschen hunt. The 'drovers' will soon disappear and assemble at the nearest pub to wait for the most probably unfortunate hunter and his empty sack...

... in other words, these birds are closely related to Yetis, Bavarian Wolpertingers and Australian drop bears.

However, they are part of the cultural heritage of the region. They have inspired artists and artisans to give them fantastic shapes and faces. Often they are depicted as females with breasts and long hair. In Palatinate souvenir shops you will find them in all materials from plush to pottery. The most impressive art work about them is the Elwetritschen fountain in Neustadt. A local Volkshochschule even offers a class where you can obtain an Elwetritschen hunting licence. The zoo in Landau has them on display, and in Speyer a whole museum is dedicated to them. I have not yet seen the Elwetritschen Museum but it is high on my To-do-list.

Elwetritschen Fountain in Neustadt an der Weinstraße

A monument has been set to Palatine’s famous fairytale birds in the middle of Neustadt. The shy nocturnal creatures come to life in the middle of the town. The sculptors Gernot and Barbara Rumpf have created it. The couple is famous for their fancy fountains. Their works can be found in many towns, but they live in Neustadt, so this was a ‘home match’. The Rumpfs gave their Elwetritschen figures striking human qualities and features.

There is the fat Queen of the Elwetritschen sitting on the edge of the fountain.

The town mayor, teeth bared, and the leader of the opposition in the town council, both spitting water at each other at regular intervals.

Elwetritschen chicks munching grapes.

Also on the edge of the fountain, there is a group of eggs in different sizes with a chick just hatching.

Of course there is also a hunting scene with sack and lantern - you can have your photo taken as successful hunter, holding the sack while the Elwetritschen are jumping in.

My first photos were taken in winter when the water was turned off. In the meantime I finally made it to Neustadt in summer and caught some pictures with the water turned on.

On the one hand, the fountain is more impressive and picturesque with water. On the other hand you can approach the figures more closely and see the details better when there is no water and no danger of being spit at by the mayor.

One Elwtritsche has even gone astray and ventured into the main square. She is somewhere around the sandstone fountain in the middle of the square.
Approach her carefully in order not to frighten her...