Poznań Goats, Turret clock at Town Hall in Old Market Square, Poznań, Poland
The Poznań Goats are two mechanical figures that emerge from small doors above the clock face on the Town Hall in the Old Market Square. At noon, they clash their heads twelve times in a brief theatrical performance repeated daily.
The mechanism with the goats was installed in 1551 following the Town Hall's reconstruction after a fire had damaged the building. The mechanism fell silent for an extended period before being restored and returned to operation in the 20th century.
These figures link to an old tale about a cook whose meal was stolen and who chased two goats that later amused a mayor. Today they remain a living symbol of local identity that visitors encounter on their daily walks.
The goats perform daily at noon, signaled by a trumpet blast that announces the start of the display. Visitors can easily position themselves around the square to watch from various angles and take photographs.
The original mechanism stopped working from 1675 until 1913, when lightning struck the Town Hall tower and damaged the mechanism inside. This long silence makes the restoration in the early twentieth century a remarkable recovery story.
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