The Doctor, the Dachshound and the Poachers

In a small valley southwest of Koenigsbronn on the Ostalb the eastmost part of the Swabian Alb, between Heidenheim and Aalen, there is an old memorial stone with a cross on it. People call it „Sueskind's Cross“ because it is said to be there in memoriam of Gamekeeper Sueskind who died on duty near the site of the stone.

Sueskind's Cross, the memorial stone southwest of Koenigsbronn

Around 1840 there was a trio of arrant poachers who hunted down many a piece of game in the forests around Koenigsbronn. They could not be caught for a long time until one evening Sueskind caught them in the very act of butchering a stag they had just hunted down.

At first they did not offer any resistance against their arrest and willingly let Sueskind waltz them off. But on the way they suddenly attacked him, knocked him down and let him lie there presuming he was dead. They also slayed his big hound dog and tried to kill his dachshound who could escape injured.

But Sueskind was not dead although badly injured. After a while he regained consciousness and tried to crawl to the road or maybe home. One of the criminals was not sure about the success of their deed and came back to the crime scene to assure himself that the victim was really dead. When he found Sueskind still alive he completely stroke him dead.

The next day Sueskind's corpse was found. At first some innocent man was suspected of the murder and thrown into prison. At the same time a relative of the murdered gamekeeper, a young Doctor Sueskind, made his home and started a medical practice at Koenigsbronn. He inherited the dachshound who recovered from his wounds. The little dachshound and the young doctor became good friends and the dog got used to always escorting his new master even when he was around the village to visit his patients.

So one day Doctor Sueskind was called to a fatally ill man. In his room the little dachshound got very exited about a game bag hanging at the wall. The dying man got very scared of this and finally confessed that he was one of the three poachers who killed the doctor's uncle, the gamekeeper Sueskind.

He also named the two other criminals so that they could be arrested and brought to court. But it is'nt passed down what in the meantime had happened to the man who firstly was suspected to have killed the gamekeeper. Maybe he came free but maybe he already had got executed.