Sundial in Kufstein

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Sundial in Kufstein, Tyrol

This pic portrays a sundial in Kufstein, a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It saw its completion in 1733, followed by renovations in 1881 and 1990. I am surprised that this sundial in the Austrian mountains depicts a big sailing ship in the background. [German]

Sundial at Kufstein Fortress

You find this sundial on the facade of a building inside the Kufstein Fortress. This fortification guarded high over the river Inn, the border between Bavaria and Tyrol. Today, it hosts a museum and forms a venue for festivals.

Inscriptions on the sundial

The rhyme in the inscription finds a positive aspect in the fact that a sundial only works on sunny days:

Sonnige Stunden zeig’ ich, trübe u. dunkle verschweig’ ich!

I feature sunny hours. I conceal dull and dark ones!

The motif on the sundial

The sundial shows two putti holding a fabric band with Roman numerals for the hours. A third putto seems to blow soap bubbles, but I’m not sure. A bird watches the third putto and is probably as puzzled as me.

Another strange element forms the sailing ship in the background. Isn’t it surprising to find such a big ship in the Tyrolean Alps?

Sources / More info

  • Link Description of Kufstein Fortress on Wikipedia [ENG]
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Categorized as Sundials