The Swabian-Hall swine (''Schwäbisch-Hällisches Landschwein'') is a breed of domestic pig originating from

Schwäbisch Hall Schwäbisch Hall (; 'Swabian Hall'; from 1802 until 1934 and colloquially: ''Hall'') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg located in the valley of the Kocher river, the longest tributary (together with its headwater Lein) of the N ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

, Germany. It is a large pig, white in the centre with a black head and rear and narrow grey bands at the transition from white to black skin. They have large litters averaging more than nine piglets. The Swabian Hall, nicknamed the 'Mohrenköpfle' due to its coloring, traces its origin to 1820 when King

William I of Württemberg William I (; 27 September 178125 June 1864) was King of Württemberg from 30 October 1816 until his death. Upon William's accession, Württemberg was suffering crop failures and famine in the "Year Without a Summer", in 1816. After taking office, ...

initiated a breeding program aimed at producing a new breed with an improved fat content. He imported Meishan pigs from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

to crossbreed with the

German Landrace German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...

, a strategy that proved particularly successful in the Hohenlohe region, and around the town of

. This hybridization led to the creation of a robust breed that became renowned for its superior quality, especially in terms of fat production, a prized trait in traditional German agriculture. The breed enjoyed widespread popularity, and by 1959, it accounted for 90% of the pigs in

. However, its prominence waned in the 1960s as market preferences shifted toward leaner pork with lower fat content, making the breed less commercially viable. Despite this decline, a small group of dedicated farmers in the

Hohenlohe The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It formerly ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire, which was divided between several branches. In 1806, the area of Hohenlohe was 1,760 km² and its estimated pop ...

district continued to preserve the breed, though by 1984, only seven breeding sows and two boars remained. Since 1998, Swabian-Hall pork (''Schwäbisch-Hällisches Qualitätsschweinfleisch'') has been recognized with

Protected Geographical Status Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect na ...

in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. Only pigs raised in

, and some neighboring districts may be sold under that name. Currently, there are around 1,500 sows registered to this breed. All of these pigs are raised on farms belonging to the Farmer Producer Association of Swabian Hall (''Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall''), which enforces a strict inspection regime to control the quality of feed provided to the animals. The Swabian-Hall Breeders Association (''Züchtervereinigung Schwäbisch Hällisches Schwein'') was established in 1977, predating the Producers Association, which was formed in 2007. Today, the Breeders Association operates as a subsidiary of the Producers Association."Case Study: Schwäbisch-Hällisches Qualitätsschweinefleisch"

''Ecological Institute''
/ref> Today, the Swabian-Hall pig is highly esteemed among gourmets for its darker, richly flavored meat and distinctive taste, which sets it apart from leaner varieties.

Gallery

file:Ferkel.jpg, file:Sh-landschweine.jpg,

References

{{reflist Pig breeds originating in Germany Animal breeds on the GEH Red List