The Ulm Sparrow (Ger. ''Ulmer Spatz'') is a landmark in, and symbol of, the

German 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 Ge ...

city of

Ulm Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city. Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...

. The landmark is a statue of a bird that sits atop the

Ulm Minster Ulm Minster () is a Gothic Architecture, Gothic church (building), church located in Ulm, State of Baden-Württemberg (Germany). It was originally built as a Roman Catholic church (building), church but became a Lutheran Church in the 16th Cen ...

, the tallest church in the world.

Legend

According to legend, the inhabitants of Ulm needed a particularly large beam for the construction of Ulm Minster, but could not get it through the city gate. As they were about to tear the gate down, they noticed a sparrow carrying a straw for its nest; which turned it from crosswise to lengthwise in its beak. A realization descended on the people of Ulm. Since that epiphany, they have placed long loads along rather than across their carts and were able to enter the city without rebuilding their gate. The legend is first recorded in an 1842 poem by Carl Hertzog. The figure on the nave of Ulm Minster was donated by wealthy citizens. It is not a sparrow, but a dove carrying an

olive branch The olive branch, a ramus of '' Olea europaea'', is a symbol of peace. It is generally associated with the customs of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, and is connected with supplication to divine beings and persons in power. Likewise, it is f ...

in its beak, as in the biblical story of Noah's Ark. It is small in relation to the building, and only easily visible from the tower. Due to its perceived size, the inhabitants came to refer to it mockingly as a sparrow, and the legend grew from there.

Cultural references

* ''Ulmer Spatz'' is a nickname both for inhabitants of Ulm and for players in the sports club

SSV Ulm 1846 SSV Ulm 1846 FUSSBALL e.V., commonly known as SSV Ulm 1846 or SSV Ulm, is a Football in Germany, German football club based in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg. SSV Ulm 1846 FUSSBALL was formed on 7 March 2009 as new independent club through the separat ...

. * ''Ulmer Spatz'' is a glazed bread roll, similar to a

pretzel A pretzel ( ; from or , ) is a type of baking, baked pastry made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined and then twi ...

. * A children's and youth's choir is named ''Die Ulmer Spatzen''. * A tramcar called ''Ulmer Spatz'' operates at weekends from Ulm through the

Swabian Jura The Swabian Jura ( , more rarely ), sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending from southwest to northeast and in width. It is named after the region of Swabia. It is part of th ...

. * A restored cruise ship on the Upper

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

is named ''Ulmer Spatz''. *

Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

8345 Ulmerspatz is named after the Ulm Sparrow.

References

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Gallery

File:Ulm-UlmerSpatz-Musikschule.JPG, at the music school File:Ulm-UlmerSpatz-Modegeschaeft.JPG, on a fashion shop File:Ulm-UlmerSpatz-Juwelier.JPG, at a jewelry store File:Ulm-UlmerSpatz-Gaststaette.JPG, at the restaurant ''Ulmer Spatz'' File:Ulm Münster 12.JPG, The sparrow on the roof (in the centre of the picture) History of Ulm Sparrows German legendary creatures