Bielefeld 1 Goldmark / City Savings Bank Issue / Need a German Translation

Here is a somewhat interesting notgeld coin:



The page for this coin and some information concerning the imagry, close details and the message being espoused can be found here:

http://www.cachecoins.org/bielefeld02.htm

Feel free to let me know if you read it and find glaring errors. I am not a very good writer and I write these fast without another to edit them so I am sure there are errors. I dont usually post these but I just found this coin, and the ideas expressed on it, fascinating and felt the need to pass it on. The main purpose is to document the coin and offer as much information possible while keeping it brief.

I also need a bit of help. There is one last bit of information I am missing. One major theme of this coin is a local Bielefeld Tale about a Blacksmith who makes a deal with the devil. As of yet I have been unable to find a good translation of this story. I do have it in German. Babelfish makes a mess of it and I thought maybe someone who is willing and able would help me translate it as closely as possible...It is posted below:

In Bielefeld lebte einst ein Schmied, der seine Kunst wie kein anderer Verstand. Um immer noch Besseres zu leisten und in den Besitz aller geheimen Künste zu kommen, ging er einen Bund mit dem Teufel ein. Da wurde er so berühmt, daß auch St. Petrus, der einmal in das Land hinunter mußte und dessen Pferd ein loses Hufeisen hatte, zu ihm ging. Auf die Frage nach seiner Schuldigkeit erhielt Petrus die Antwort des Schmiedes, Geld wolle er nicht, aber der Apostel möge ihm einen Beutel, aus dem ihm stets das Geld fortkäme, segnen. Das tat Petrus.

Bald darauf war die Vertragsfrist mit dem Teufel abgelaufen, welcher kam, den Schmied zu holen. Als der Teufel anklopfte, sagte ihm der Schmied, die Tür brauche er ihm nicht zu öffnen, er möge durch das Schlüsselloch hereinfahren. Das tat der Teufel, geriet aber in den innen davorgehaltenen Beutel des Schmieds, der ihn schnell verschloß und dann auf dem Amboß den Teufel derart bearbeitete, der bereit war auf den Schmied zu verzichten.

Als er nun seinen Tod nahe fühlte, ließ er sich sein altes Schurzfell umtun und ging so, als der Tod erfolgt war, zur Himmelstür, wurde aber von Petrus abgewiesen wegen seines früheren Vertrages mit dem Teufel, der ihn bei seinem Versuche, in der Hölle Unterschlupf zu finden, wegen der vom Schmied bezogenen Prügel auch abwies. So ging er zur Himmelstür zurück und warf, als Petrus einer frommen Jungfrau die Tür öffnete, sein Schurzfell hinein. Petrus verwies ihm das und hieß es ihn wieder hinauszuholen. Aber einmal im Himmel, setzte sich der Schmied auf sein Schurzfell und weigerte sich zu gehen, Petrus erinnerte sich, daß der Schmied gern den Armen gegeben und ließ ihn auf seinem Platze, wo er heute noch sitzt -

 

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I used a free translator I found at http://translation2.paralink.com/ . It leaves a bit to be desired but you can get the gist of the story.

Once in Bielefeld a smith, that lived his art like no other mind. To perform still better and to come to the possession of all confidential arts, he entered an alliance with the devil. There he became so famous that also the Saint Peter which must go once in the land down and whose horse had a loose horseshoe went to him. On the question after his obligation Peter received the answer of the smith, he does not want money, but the apostle may bless to him a bag from which to him always the money would get away. This did Peter.

Soon afterwards the contract term with the devil had run off who came to get the smith. When the devil knocked, the smith said to him, he does not need to open the door to him, he may drive by the key hole. However, the devil did this, got in the inside davorgehaltenen bag of the smith who closed him fast and worked on then on the anvil the devil so, ready was to be renounced the smith.

When he felt now his death near, he can be looked around his old apron fur and went in such a way when the death had occurred, however, to the sky door, it was turned down by Peter because of his earlier contract with the devil, which him with his attempt to find hiding place in the hell because of which from the smith also rejected referring beating. Thus he went back to the sky door and threw when Peter opened to a devout virgin the door, his apron fur in. Peter expelled to him this and called it him again hinauszuholen. But once in heaven, the smith sat down on his apron fur and denied to go for himself, Peter remembered that the smith with pleasure to the arms given and left him on his place where he sits even today-

 

Hi Drusus, I used my language converter and got this following translation:

In Bielefeld, a smith, that lived once its art such as no other intellect. In order to perform always even better and to come into the possession of all secret arts, went in it an alliance with the devil. There it became so famously that also St. Petrus, that must once into the country down and whose horse had a loose horseshoe, went, to it. On that ask received about its obligation Petrus the answer the smith, money wanted he not, but the apostle would like it a bag, out of which it always the money would prosper, bless. That did Petrus.

Soon on that the contract time period with the devil had expired, which came to get the smith. When the devil knocked, the smith did not say would need to open would like, the door he it, he through the keyhole here established to it. That did the devil, ran however in the bag before that held interior of the smith, that quickly locked it and so processed then on the anvil the devil, who to forgo was ready the smith.

When he nearly felt now its death, he let be look around old apron fur and went so when the death had resulted, to the sky door, was rejected however of Petrus because of its earlier contract with the devil, that to find it in its attempt, in the hell shelter, because of which of the smith related stick also rejected. So it returned to the sky door and threw when Petrus of a pious virgin opened the door, its apron fur in. Petrus reprimanded it that and was named get out it it again. But once in the sky, the smith sat down on its apron fur and refused to go, remembered Petrus that the smith given gladly the arms and let it on its place where he yet sits today.

 

One thing that I find a little peculiar in the article is the Michel story: "Michel refers to the code name given to the first push in a series of major offensives launched by Germany in March of 1918 called the 'Spring Offensive' (...)"

Well, I am not much into military history, but the "Michel" as a personification of the German is much older than that. I think it first came up in the 16/17c literature, and was later (early 19c) often used in cartoons. It is a somewhat ambiguous stereotype - partly sleepyhead or dope, partly "man in the street" who simply wants to live his life without being bothered by the government (which in those days was basically authoritarian). But you still find the Michel with his night cap on in today's political cartoons.

By the way, in German "Schlafmütze" means both night cap (original meaning) and sleepyhead.

Christian

 

The story of the Bielefeld smith again - not translated word by word but by a human.

Once upon a time there was a smith in Bielefeld who knew his art like nobody else. In order to become even better and learn all secret arts, he made a pact with the devil. He then became so famous that even St. Peter - who one time had to go down and whose horse had a loose horseshoe - went to him. Asked how much he (Peter) owed, the smith said he did not want any money; however, he said he had a bag that would always lose some money, and asked the apostle to bless the bag. That is what Peter did.

Some time later the time of the pact with the devil came to its end, and the devil came to get the smith. He knocked at the door, but the smith said he could simply come in through the keyhole. The devil did that but got caught in the bag that the smith held against the keyhole. Then the smith closed the bag, took it to his anvil and hammered until the devil was willing to give up (ie. to not take the smith with him).

When the smith felt he was about to die, he had his fur apron put on, and when he was dead, went to the heaven's gate. But peter refused to let him in, due to the former pact with the devil. The he went to hell, but the devil would not let him in because the smith had beaten him so hard. So the smith went back to heaven and, when Peter opened the gate to let a pious virgin in, he threw his apron in. Peter would not allow that and told the smith to take it out again. However, once inside, the smith sat down on his apron fur and refused to leave. Peter, who remembered that the smith had voluntarily given to the poor, would finally let him stay - where the smith is still sitting today.

Christian

 

Well, looks like I was on the wrong path when it comes to what Michel meant...when researching the coin I found that the code word for the first push in the Spring Offensive was called 'Michel' so I assumed it was referring to that and the troubles encountered by the troops getting material support, something referred to by many at the time as the reason the German military failed to turn the tide of the war...a stab in the back during this offensive...also because many write ups regarding this offensive talk about how there was a workers strike during this offensive which left the military, in essence, without material support to enable them to capitalize on their momentum...that offensive started out rather well but tanked when they could not keep up the forward momentum...something later blamed on the communists and Jews who were said to have incited the workers at home to strike. With the nightcap on the man who resembles Bismarck, I assume that it is referring, as you say, to the use of the word as a stereotype of the Common German. Or maybe it is a little bit of both or more of one than the other....

Thanks for ALL the translations...what I truly needed though was the human translation that makes the story much more clear...

Christian, I could be wrong but once I put this on my page, it might very well be the only English translation of the story on the web...or at least I have been unable to find one which is why I came here looking for help. You have helped me before with translations like this so I was somewhat hoping you might come by.

If you like, I will give you credit for the translation...I will simply put 'Christian' unless you want your full name attached, you can PM me with that if you like.

Thanks for all the help!!

 

No full name required; you could (if you think it makes sense) add a link to this topic, so that people who are interested in the German original can compare the texts. As for the Michel, the coin is full of various allusions and puns, so who knows, maybe the designer had that offensive in mind. It's just that - at least here in Germany - the Michel has for a very long time been a well known personification of "the" German.

Christian

 

gotcha...I might just make mention of the possible connection to the offensive as well.

One last thing about this medal that I wouldnt mind getting an opinion on...the devil is obviously supposed to be the president of France...and Michel bears and uncanny resemblance to Otto von Bismarck which I am sure is intentional...who do you think the blacksmith is? I was thinking it might be Friedrich Ebert who was president at the time:





Or more possibly Karl Severing whose name is on coin under the Bielefeld story reference:



...its just that I have a feeling it is supposed to be someone as the other furgures on the coin are real people...

 

That is Carl Severing, I think. He is from Bielefeld (well, born in nearby Herford) and was a locksmith first. So in a way he was the "smith of Bielefeld" of his time: Raymond Poincaré (at that time French prime minister) was one of the driving forces behind the French-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr area, and Severing supported the opposition against it while at the same time being loyal to the German government (federal and Prussian - back then Bielefeld and the Ruhr area were parts of Prussia).

Christian

 

Thats what I was thinking, he is from around bielefeld and at the time he was Interior Minister of Prussia. He also supported the rearmament of Germany and passive resistance (and some not so passive) against France and Belgium.

I guess France was the devil and Germany was the smith that resists him (even though he made a deal with him) and endes up in a better place. At the time they were looking to bag up the french and hammer them until they relent.

...well...thanks again for the help Christian.

 

Alright then...I have made the final updates and I have also put up a page linked from the Bielfeld page that has the original german text and the english translation:

http://www.cachecoins.org/schmiedvonbielefeld.htm

On to the next one