28.03.24
 

The legend of the 'Jeel Puete'

 Some history

To understand the legend of the ‚Jeel Puet’, which means ‘Yellow Feet’, you must be aware that in former times Würselen was a divided city. Frankly, that is not really true because then the city of Würselen did not exist. Most of districts were just clearly separated villages. Most of them belonged to the ‘Aachener Reich’, The villages Vorweiden, Linden-Neusen, Euchen und Broich however were part of the duchy Jülich.

Map of duchy Jülich 1645

Map of the duchy Jülich-Berg von Willem und Joan Blaeu, 1645 (Source Wikipedia)

There was a border crossing at Bardenberg at the street called today ‘Grindelstraße’. ‘Grindel’ just means ‘gate’. This is also the location where the monument ‘Jeel Puet’ can be found.

The legend

Considering this background the legend is a very short story. A poor farmer wanted to cross the border to Aachen to sell his eggs. For sure, he had to pay a tax for his basket of eggs. He tried to convince the officers to let him go without paying the tax because he was such a poor man. But they did not let him go. In his anger, he put the basket on the floor Angry as he was, he crunched the eggs with his feet. His feet all over messed up with yoke of the eggs got yellow.

That is the legend of the symbol figure of Bardenberg the ‘Jeel Puete’.

Jeel Puet

Monument 'Jeel Puet' at Grindelstraße

Jeel Puet

Monument 'Jeel Puet' the face

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Monument 'Jeel Puet' basket with eggs

Jeel Puet

Monument 'Jeel Puet' tablet