Why Germans bit crows: the story of one very strange photograph

You can find anything on the Internet. Sometimes, among the huge flow of information, you come across real gems. Of particular interest are old photographs that capture events from days gone by. Sometimes, some kind of wild stuff is happening on them, and you have to conduct a real investigation to discover the truth. One of these pictures is of teenagers who, for some reason, have bitten crows with their teeth. This is not a product of a neural network or old photos of young sadists, but a photograph of people of a rare profession - "crow biters".

The Curonian Spit, located in East Prussia (now the Kaliningrad Region), has long been considered an unsuitable place for life. The Curonian people who lived there for centuries constantly experienced food shortages. The sandy soil of the spit made farming virtually impossible. Even such unpretentious crops as potatoes and turnips were considered a rare delicacy in these parts.

There is no one to hunt on the Curonian Spit either. The only thing the Curonians had in abundance was fish. But those who tried to live for at least a month eating only sea fish could understand how the locals, forced to eat it all their lives, treated it. In winter, the Baltic Sea was covered with ice, and even fish became inaccessible.

What the Curonian Spit has always had in abundance is birds. Migration routes of many species pass through these places. Some arrive in the spring, others in the summer, and others stop in the fall. But there are crows all year round. These birds had another advantage - they were not too afraid of people and willingly ate scraps.

In ancient times, one of the Curonian rationalizers came up with the idea of using crows as food. They were fried, boiled, stewed, baked and even salted. The birds were served with sauerkraut, beans and peas - in the best German traditions. The Curonians praised crow dishes so much that they began to be noticed on the mainland.

The restaurants of Königsberg offered a wide range of such exquisite dishes. On the menu, these dishes were bashfully called "Curonian pigeons" or "Zarkau geese." But everyone except visitors knew what was hidden behind these names. Nevertheless, they ate and praised them, since an affordable alternative was rare.

But in order to feed everyone with crows, they first had to catch them. For this, the Curonians developed a special technique that did not require much effort or expense. They used an old fishing net stretched on pegs as a trap. Several already caught crows were tied to the net by their legs, and fish guts were scattered around, attracting new birds.

A rope was tied to the trap, and the hunter hid nearby in a hut. As soon as enough birds had gathered near the net, attracted by their captive relatives and scattered treats, the hunter pulled the rope, and the net covered the flock. After that, the person went to collect the prey. But the crows had to be immobilized and efforts had to be made to keep them alive. The hunt could last for the whole day, and dead birds quickly lost their freshness.

Therefore, either the hunter himself or the boys accompanying him bit the birds in the neck, damaging the spine, but leaving them alive. The birds, paralyzed in such a barbaric way, lay quietly on the sackcloth, waiting until the hunters got ready to go home. The hunters were called "crow-biters" (Krähenbeißer or Krajebieter).

Everyone understood perfectly well that birds, especially ones like crows, were dangerous without heat treatment. In order not to catch any infection, the Curonians took a bottle of schnapps with them on hunts. They rinsed their mouths with it, and most likely, much deeper parts of the body.

In the 17th century, the "crow-biters" were even subject to a special tax. Residents of the Curonian Spit who wanted to engage in this trade, according to the government decree of 1656, were obliged to pay one thaler and six groschen to the treasury annually. The amount was small, but since almost everyone caught crows, it was a significant boost to the budget of East Prussia.

In addition, in a special department, which was ironically called "forestry", it was possible to pay an additional fee and secure a favorable place for setting traps. Licenses were sold both seasonal and perpetual, which could even be passed on by inheritance.

It is not worth thinking that "crow-biters" lived a long time ago. The soldiers of the Soviet army, entering Königsberg, were quite surprised by the dishes made from these birds. But with the inclusion of East Prussia, the crow-catchers and their eaters disappeared. The Germans, including the Curonians, were deported, and this ancient profession went into oblivion with them.

What do you think about such unusual culinary traditions? Would you like to try the national dish of the Curonians? Share your opinion in the comments!