In Bremen, Germany

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In Bremen, Germany: "

There are not many fairytales titled with a town’s name, but when the Brothers Grimm wrote The Bremen Town Musicians in the early 19th century, they did just that.

In the Marktplatz, you’ll find the bronze statue of the four musicians: the donkey, dog, cat and rooster. It was created in 1953 by a local sculptor, Gerhard Marcks.

Locals still today joke that the animals should be facing towards the town hall, not away from it as they are, because the “real robbers today are the politicians.” The animal musicians, you may recall, or read here, scared a group of robbers out of a countryside house by standing in the formation seen in this statue. The tradition in Bremen is to hold both of the donkeys legs, close your eyes and make a wish.

Walk into the square, across from the Roland statue, and look closely at the cobblestones. You’ll find a circular well that makes the sounds of the animals when a coin is placed inside. I’m told that the well has become part of a local drinking ritual: when out at bars and wanting to see who will buy the next round of beers, locals will go (stumble) to this well and bet which animal sound will be heard when the next coin is deposited.

The coin well has collected over 37,000 Euros in the last two years ($50,000), and all of that money is donated to charity. The well may be a good metaphor for Bremen’s connection to the Brothers Grimm tale. There’s not much to actually see in town related to the tale besides a few statues (and plenty of souvenirs), but what endures seems to be more of a spirit of solidarity emboldened by the tale, such as the donation of the money from the well to local charity.

During my visit, and throughout the winter and spring months, there are numerous tombola raffle tents raising money for a local park. And a former mayor established the Bremen Solidarity Prize, to acknowledge those who fight for freedom in the world.

The Town Musicians took to the road to Bremen seeking a more ideal life (the rooster, after all, was to have its head cut off and thrown in a soup the next day). Happily ever after, it may be Bremen that sought and found more ideal ways because of the Town Musicians.

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