The Goose Girl of Gottingen

As soon as I heard about her I had to meet her. The Ganseliesel, or Goose Girl of Gottingen, also known as "The Most Kissed Girl in the World," has stood in front of the medieval town hall since 1901.

Gottingen is a very famous college town as home to the great George August University, founded in 1734 by King George II of England who was also the Elector of Hanover, Germany, and has been associated with 47 Nobel laureates.

Famous geniuses who have made Gottingen home have included the mathematicians Gauss, Riemann, and Hilbert; three great physicists named Max: Born, Planck, and Von Laue; as well as the philosopher Schopenhauer and the statesman Bismarck.

I finally met the Goose Girl as the picture here proves.

A tradition has grown up in Gottingen where students earning Doctorates from the University celebrate by giving the Goose Girl flowers and then climbing up on her fountain to give her a kiss.

I met a man whose wife did this when she earned her M.D. Another friend told me he believes there was a real goose girl long ago who kind heartedly helped out destitute students with small sums of money and the modern tradition springs from this history or, perhaps, legend.

Technically, I believe it is now illegal to kiss the Goose Girl. But old college traditions are stronger than laws and the Goose Girl still gets her flowers... and her kisses. As you can see in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VImee6SOm3U

Copyright © 2016 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

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When you go Germany to visit the Goose Girl bring this book along to find other wonderful sights as well!

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