Welcome to the audio tour through our historic town Otterndorf. 9th grade students from the local school Gymnasium Otterndorf have translated and recorded the English version of the tour for you.

Audio

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“Bekanntmachung, Bekanntmachung! Lüd komt ran, komt nöger, bi mi kriegt ji dat Neeste to hörn, wat erst in annerthalf Weeken in't Blatt steiht."
This is low German and means the following: “News, News! People, come closer and you will hear the newest news that will only be in the papers in 1,5 weeks!”
Do you know what an “Utröper” is? Well, let me explain to you: The word comes from the Low German language. ‘Ut’ means ‘out’ and ‘Röper’ means ‘crier’. So he is an ‘outcaller’ or crier, bringing news and decisions from the heads of the town. That means he was similar to the local newspaper today.
Tradespeople could hire him as well. The crier told the inhabitants that a travelling salesman would come and or what the fishermen would sell that day, fresh fish or common shrimps.
The “Utröper” had to be very striking and recognizable. He wore colourful clothes and had a bell in his hand, so the bringer of news was a well-known personality. Since the 1950s, the job of the “Utröper” was less and less needed. He is a nostalgic reminder of the past.
These days, Otterndorf has revived this job. There is an “Utröper” opposite of the church, every Friday at 9.30 a.m. from June to August. He brings news from the council and administration, from businesses and from the public events calendar. While doing that he is telling “de een oder annern Döntje “, i.e. “telling one or another funny story”– in Low German and in German.
You can still sense the excitement that came along with the arrival of the ’Utröper’ when you look at his beautiful and humorous sculpture. It was built by the sculptor Frijo Müller-Belecke. There are two other works made by him – the bust in front of the Johann-Voß-Haus and the bronze group nearby the pumping station: “Keen nich will dieken, de mutt wieken.” In English: If you do not want to build a dike, you have to run away from the water. That is a German saying which people who live near the coast have had century-long experiences with.