Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Koblenz Augenroller (Eye Roller)

Augenroller (Eye Roller)

Every half hour the eye-rolling clock face sticks out its tongue to mock the good citizens of Koblenz.

Koblenz, Germany

Added By
Paul Bentz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Augenroller.   Holger Weinandt/CC BY-SA 3.0
Johann Lutter looking down from his perch.   pauldbentz / Atlas Obscura User
Mittelrhein Museum, Koblenz.   Jim Linwood/CC BY-SA 2.0
Johann Lutter looking down from his perch.   pauldbentz / Atlas Obscura User
The man sticks his tongue out on the hour and half hour.   Wamito/Public Domain
  karayze35 / Atlas Obscura User
  rojC / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The town clock in Saint Florin’s market in Koblenz, Germany, contains more than one face. It’s adorned with an image that according to local lore represents Johan Lutter, a 16th century robber. Though he was sentenced to death and lost his head in 1536, his visage still keeps watch over Koblenz’s Old Town from beneath the clock.

The face's eyes roll back and forth as the pendulum moves, marking the passage of time. When the clock strikes the hour or half hour, the whimsical sheet metal man sticks out his tongue to mock the good citizens of Koblenz.

This depicts the gruesome yet morbidly comical expression Lutter supposedly made in his final moments. Some legends even say he continued to roll his eyes and wiggle his tongue after his head lay severed from his body.

Though the original Augenroller was constructed in the 18th century, it was damaged during World War II and replaced by a smaller, simper version in 1965. 

Related Tags

Clocks Towers Time Architectural Oddities History Markets 18th Century World War Ii Architecture Military

Know Before You Go

One block up from the Moselle River, at the Florinmarkt Square.

Community Contributors

Added By

pauldbentz

Edited By

Martin, Kerry Wolfe, karayze35, rojC

  • Martin
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • karayze35
  • rojC

Published

July 12, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Augenroller (Eye Roller)
15 Florinsmarkt
Koblenz, 56068
Germany
50.362434, 7.596845
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Schängelbrunnen

Koblenz, Germany

miles away

Burg Lahneck

Lahnstein, Germany

miles away

Andernach Geyser

Andernach, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Koblenz

Koblenz

Germany

Places 2

Nearby Places

Schängelbrunnen

Koblenz, Germany

miles away

Burg Lahneck

Lahnstein, Germany

miles away

Andernach Geyser

Andernach, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Koblenz

Koblenz

Germany

Places 2

Related Places

  • Dual-time clock at the Bristol Exchange

    Bristol, England

    Corn Exchange Dual-Time Clock

    The unusual clock on this 18th-century market building has an extra minute hand for "Bristol time."

  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

    This was once the largest four-sided clock in the world (yes, even bigger than Big Ben).

  • Petrovaradin, Serbia

    Pijani Sat (Drunk Clock)

    Backwards hour and minute hands and a timing mechanism that fluctuates with the temperature led to this clock tower's local nickname.

  • Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku in 2020.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku

    This battleship of a building was designed by a famed "mad architect."

  • The tower dominates the town’s skyline.

    Oban, Scotland

    McCaig’s Tower

    Looking strangely like Rome's Colosseum, this unfinished tower has dominated the skyline for over 100 years.

  • Tower of the Storks (center).

    Cáceres, Spain

    Torre de las Cigüeñas (Tower of the Storks)

    The tallest tower in Cáceres's Old Town.

  • Rome, Italy

    Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana

    Also known as the Square Colosseum, this building is a prime example of fascist-era rationalist architecture.

  • The outside of the synagogue in Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini.

    Modena, Italy

    Modena Synagogue

    This beautiful 150-year-old synagogue survived Italy's fascist period and the Second World War.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.