The cuckoo clock was only the beginning.

 

The beginnings of the clock-making trade in the Black Forest date back to the seventeenth century. It is said that a first clock was made around 1667, on the "Glashof" ("glass farm") in Waldau, which today belongs to Titisee-Neustadt. A Kreutz family lived there at the time, and although they did not invent the clock, they were the first in the Black Forest to build one on their farm.

At that time, agriculture hardly brought any profit for the farmers, but served solely for their own survival. Since the evenings were long in the winter, they lent themselves to fiddling around. And because there was always plenty of wood, the clocks were also made from it. At first, these were quite simple, able to show only the hours. They consisted of three carved wheels, a dial with a single hand, and a horizontal bar. From this derives the name "Waagbalkenuhr" ("balance beam clock"). It was driven by a stone attached to a chain. The clock of the Kreutz family from Waldau was of this type.

Around 1738, the first example of the clock that is associated with the Black Forest all over the world is said to have been created: the cuckoo clock. It is assumed that it goes back to Franz Anton Ketterer from Schönwald. Almost at the same time, around 1740, a first pendulum clock was built by Christian Wehrle from Simonswald.

From about 1770, clocks were made with a wooden shield on which various motifs were painted with lacquer. They are called "lacquer shield clocks". In the following period, they were first the symbol of the Black Forest clock, before they were replaced in the middle of the nineteenth century by the cuckoo clock in the shape of a railroad guard's house. However, there were other types of clocks that originated in the Black Forest, such as the so-called "Männleuhr" ("man clock"), which can best be described as music boxes. They had small figures on them that moved on the hour. A clock-maker from Hinterzarten, Jakob Herbstrieth, built the "Jockeleuhr" named after him, which had the characteristic of being quite small.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the craft developed into an important industry, mainly because Black Forest clocks were cheaper than those made of metal constructed by clock-makers in the cities, due to the fact that wood was the building material. In addition, the manufacturing process in the Black Forest became more and more sophisticated.

Thus, until the middle of the nineteenth century, clocks were made in numerous small home workshops, mainly in the area between St. Georgen and Titisee-Neustadt. It is estimated that they numbered about a thousand in 1840. However, the clock-makers of those days did not work alone. A rather sophisticated division of labor already existed in the Black Forest towards the end of the eighteenth century. The clock-maker received prefabricated parts from other craftsmen, often blacksmiths, to build the clocks from. For example, he was provided with bells, frames and shields. Finally, they even received brass wheels for the movement.

The finished clocks were sold at markets, to which they first arrived with the help of the glass bearers. As some of them specialized in marketing clocks, the profession of clock carrier was born.

Subsequently, watch factories were established, especially from the middle of the nineteenth century. This happened first in Lenzkirch and Furtwangen, and later also in Triberg and St. Georgen, as well as in Titisee-Neustadt. At the end of the nineteenth century, Schramberg and Schwenningen followed.

Of particular interest to visitors is the German Clock Museum in Furtwangen. It not only presents Black Forest clock-making, but also offers a cross-section that goes far beyond it, with about 1,000 exhibits and a total inventory of 8,000 pieces. Incidentally, it was founded by Robert Gerwig, the designer of the Black Forest Railway, who was also the first director of a clock-making school from 1850 to 1857, which was also located in Furtwangen. Through his influence, the so-called "Bahnhäusleform" ("shape of a railroad guard's cottage") of the cuckoo clock achieved its worldwide distribution. The concept of combining a railroad guard's cottage with a clock face goes back to Friedrich Eisenlohr.

A clock-maker's workshop can also be visited in Triberg's local history museum, and a clock-maker's cottage dating from 1726 is located in Vöhrenbach. Another one is open to visitors in Titisee-Neustadt. The German Clock Route, a popular vacation route, connects the former centers of the clock-making trade along its course.