Little known is an old sculpture built into the stable of a private house against the town wall of Riquewihr. It depicts a man carrying a heavy sack. A local legend of Riquewihr is attached to this figure.
During the Thirty Years’ War, in 1635, the enemies once laid siege to the town, but could break neither its strong walls nor the firm, defiant spirit of its citizens. Then a “burgher of Zellenberg” offered them his help and promised to show them, by night, a weak and unguarded spot in the wall.
The plot succeeded. The enemies broke irresistibly into the sleeping town by night and gave it over to plunder. The hill from which they entered is still called the Armenberg, the “mountain of poverty”, because Riquewihr was made poor that day.
When the enemies had swept past like a storm wind and the people of the sorely afflicted town could breathe again, they managed to capture the treacherous neighbour. He was put on trial, condemned, and walled up alive at the very place in the town wall that the enemy had climbed because of his betrayal.
As an eternal memorial and warning, the image of the man was carved there, showing him hurrying away with the heavy sack of money, the reward of his treason.
