Fährmann Hildebrand – a good man …

As soon as the call: “Fährmann, hoal öwer!“ sounded, the Wittenberger Hildebrand started to bring his ferryboat across the river. No matter which status or intention his passengers were, he would always escort them safely to the other side of the Elbe river.

Fährmann’s End

Even during the dark times of the Teutscher Krieg (1618-1648), he fulfilled his duty. Eventually this became his fatality. Even though he knew, that marauding Swedish war folk would be on the way (probably from the battle of Wittstock), he kept working and helped three feeing families to the safe bank of the river.

A deed he ended up paying for the same night with his life. 8 murdering and plundering Swedish mercenaries forced the brave Fährmann with muskets and daggers to bring them to the safe bank as well. Before the day would end they wanted to catch up with the fleeing. Obviously this would have been the tragic end of the three families. Having this in mind, the Fährmann tried to be extremely slow crossing the river which of course has been realized by the mercenaries. Filled with anger and indignation, that a man in his position would even dare, they stroke him down half way of the river.

A deed cruel as well as stupid because without a knowledgeable ferryman the drifting boot was caught in a dangerous stream. The boot and the murderers sank quick in the seemingly slow flowing Elbe river

The possible Moral

1. honest men are indispensable und live dangerously …
2. not only the deep but the timing matter …
3. not always one will sink into the river of forgetfulness…