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鳩時計の歴史
最初の鳩時計は黒い森地方にあるＳｃｈｏｎｗａｌｄという小さな村に住む時計技術者フランツ A. ケトラー氏よって製作されたと言われる。
ケトラー氏はその類まれなる発想で、カッコーの鳴き声を蛇腹式のふいごを用いることにより表現し、より理想の鳴き声に近づけることに成功させた。
彼のアイデアを基に、その後数年の間に黒い森地方の時計工芸は急速に拡大したのである。
初めはたった一人の技術者から産まれた鳩時計は、１８０８年頃には６８８人の時計技術士と５８２人の時計行商が集まる産業まで発展したのである。
ドイツの鳩時計は現代に至るまであらゆる時代の才能ある技術者により時計機能の向上が進められてきた。
黒い森地方特有の雪に囲まれた長い冬の期間を利用し、身近にある様々な木に手彫りで飾りを施して芸術ともいえる鳩時計を完成させた。
春や夏に農作業をする農家や木こりなど様々な人が長い冬の間にじっくりと時間をかけ装飾を施し、時計作りに時間を費やした。
こうして冬に作られた時計は夏になると行商によってヨーロッパ中で販売された。
行商は大小様々な時計を背中に担ぎ売り歩いた。行商達の熱意により、ハンドカーブ（手彫り装飾）された鳩時計はヨーロッパに
知れ渡り、世界中の人々の心を打ったと言われる。
現代においてもその伝統のクラフトマンシップは代々受け継がれ、鳩時計産業は続いている。
初めは屋根裏の小さな部屋で作られていた鳩時計だが、産業の発展と共に、明るくて、道具の揃ったワークショップへと作業場は
変貌した。そして技術が格段に進み、さらに正確な時計を生産する技術を身に付けた。
200年を経過した現在でも手彫り装飾は昔の方式を守り通されている。また、200年前に作られたデザインは現在の時計の基礎となり今でもその原型を残している。
この点で言えばカッコー時計は過去と現在と未来を結ぶシンボルとも言える。
Ref: Association of VdS Germany
The first Black Forest Cuckoo Clock was designed and made by Franz A. Ketterer in the small village of Schonwald near Triberg, Germany, in the depths of the Black Forest. Ketterer managed to reproduce the cuckoo's call by the clever use of bellows producing two different sounds.
Over the following years, the clock industry developed rapidly in the Black Forest. With their inventive genius, cleverness and dexterity, the inhabitants of the region employed the long winter months in making cuckoo clocks with richly hand carved decorations from various woods. In 1808 there were already 688 clockmakers and 582 clock peddlars in the districts of Triberg and Neustadt.
During the long winter months, the farms were snowed-in and the people had a lot of time to create finely handcrafted cuckoo clocks of many styles with rich and varied carvings.
The clocks that were made in winter were sold by the clock peddlars in the summer months during long journeys throughout Europe. The clocks were secured on a frame and carried on the back. They were works of art, sought after luxuries that conquered the hearts of people all over the world.
This ancient craft continued to develop, becoming soon a flourishing industry. The poorly lit "cabinets" on attic floors where watchmakers worked in the past have become light and well-equipped workshops where clock movements and cases are manufactured by up-to-date methods. But the woodcarvings are still handmade by skilled masters as they were 200 years ago. Old clocks, original drawings of the first clocks etc. are still used and modified as patterns for new models, but the cuckoo clock in its basic form is 200 years old and has survived until now. The cuckoo clock symbolizes the past, present and the future.
The beginning
The actual date, when the first clocks were built in the Black Forest an not be clearly determined and is still in the dark. The date of 1640 is often found on follow ups, although it is by no means historically guaranteed. The first production period was approximately between 1670 and 1720, which is without any great significance since around 1700 the high region of the Black Forest had to endure war conflicts between Austria and France.
The actual start was after 1720. Soon after that the clock trade was widely spread in the high region of the Black Forest.
The region of the clock makers in the 18th century stretched from St. Georgen in the north to Neustadt in the south. Though the main region of the early clock production was the area around Furtwangen.
It is gladly assumed that the inherent aptitudes of the "forest artists" in connection with a distinct specialized knowledge in woodwork, indispensable for life in the mountains, has automatically led to the growing clock production. However, the decisive and advising involvement of the early monastery clergy in the Black Forest and their physical and mathematical capabilities should also be considered.
First progresses
At the beginning, the Black Forest clocks had a similarity with the then known simple iron watch- or tower-clocks. The clockwork consisted of two types of material – wood and iron wire. Wheel waves made of wood were running on wooden carrier plates. and the running period was 12 hours at most. As drive served a rock on a string with a small counter balance. The wooden parts were eventually replaced with metal ones. There was one exception however, the cases with wooden carrier plates remained. They are still characteristic for the newly built fabrication clock of the 20th century.
現在でも歴史を継ぐはと時計工房が黒い森地方に存在します。
現代のクォーツムーブメントを取り入れつつも、その外観には歴史が丹念に作り上げた伝統と技術を宿しているのです。
そんな伝統を継承するドイツ森の時計（はと時計）のラインナップを お楽しみ下さい
鳩時計について WIKIPEDIA もご参照ください
