Actually, it’s always the newcomers who buy their own home in the country and then don’t want to see that they just live in the country. And then they go to court against cow dung on the street, against bells on the cows’ necks, preferably against the existence of farmers. As far away as North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, they made fun of the couple, who for years complained through the authorities in Upper Bavaria because the cows rang too loudly in the pasture and robbed him of his sleep. The matter ended in a settlement.
In Bad Hindelang and in general in the Allgäu, such people do not have to be seen. There would be no comparison in sight, on the contrary: If you can’t stand the ringing of the bells, the only thing that will help is a visit to the Telemark World Cup finals in Oberjoch in March, as shock therapy, so to speak. The town, the ski association, the Allgäu tourist office and the local newspaper all got together to set the world record in ringing cowbells.
Notarized, at least 800 people should ring their bells at once, as a sign of alpine farming and the cultural heritage of the cow bell. A conductor sets the beat, alphorn players accompany the ringing musically. So far the record is in Boswil, Switzerland: 640 people, 700 cowbells. Of course, this is not possible for the people of the Allgäu, who already hold the world records for the lushest meadows and the gentlest hills. In Rinchnach, Lower Bavaria, 1370 bells could be heard at the same time, but this is not officially certified.
46 Alps with around 8000 hectares of Alprecht area account for 56 percent of the municipal area. In this respect, Bad Hindelang is predestined for such a record. Whereby in the Allgäu small bells, not large cow bells, are traditional, so that the alpine shepherds can find their cattle more easily. And if they achieve the world record they are aiming for, the Allgäu New Year’s Eve campaign “Ringing instead of firecrackers” might start next winter: the locals are called upon to ring in the new year with bells instead of blowing rockets and fine dust into the air . The Corona years and the associated ban on firecrackers have already given the campaign a boost – not even those who have moved in can have anything against it.