What do cuckoo clocks have to do with Heidelberg?

Almost every day I hear it in our shop: "Oh look, a cuckoo clock - are we in the Black Forest?" No, we are not. We are in the middle of Heidelberg, right next to the Church of the Holy Spirit. And yet, dozens of cuckoo clocks hang on our walls.

So the question is legitimate. And I'm happy to answer it - because there's more to it than meets the eye.

The Black Forest and Germany - the same thing for many tourists

For a large number of our international guests, the Black Forest is not just a region in Baden-Württemberg. It is a symbol of Germany. The cuckoo clock, along with lederhosen and pretzels, is at the top of the list of things they associate with this country.

This sometimes leads to funny moments. I've been asked if you can simply take the funicular up to the Königstuhl and then be in the Black Forest. And I've explained it every time - gladly and without rolling my eyes, because it's precisely this curiosity that makes our work what it is.

Because Heidelberg, as a tourist city, attracts so many people from all over the world, it makes sense to embrace what these people associate with Germany. The cuckoo clock is part of that.

Handmade, certified, from the Black Forest - not from China

A question I hear almost as often: "They're from China, right?" No. All our clocks actually come from the Black Forest, are handmade there, and have a certificate. That's not a marketing promise; it's verifiable.

I say this so directly because I myself didn't see it that way for a long time. When I took over my uncle's business in 2017, I honestly wasn't the biggest cuckoo clock fan. By now, I am - and that has mostly to do with what I've experienced in our shop every day.

The story that still makes me smile today

A couple comes in. The man looks at the clocks and says dryly: "We don't need it. We're Germans, not Americans." I nod understandingly, but still tell them a little about the differences between the models. The two leave.

Shortly after, the woman stands alone in front of me and points to the largest clock in the shop - twelve melodies, beautiful carvings. "I'd like that one." And then, with a smile: "I have a hair salon. There I can indulge in my daily cuckoo clock dose without my husband hearing the cuckoo."

The clock was bought.

And me? I'm long since in love.

Yes, many clocks tick simultaneously here. And no, I haven't gone crazy from it. On the contrary - I now find it almost meditative when the cuckoo peeks out of its little doors at different times.

If you want to see, hear, or buy a clock: We are at the Church of the Holy Spirit. And if you have any questions - I'll be happy to answer them, as always.

Currently, the clocks are not yet available online. If interested, simply send a message to kuckuck@mitbringsel-hd.de.