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Krivitz remembers: In 1792, a tornado brought the spectacular rain of fish!
On September 5, 1792, a tornado devastated Krivitz, raining fish into the streets. Find out more about the event.
Krivitz remembers: In 1792, a tornado brought the spectacular rain of fish!
On September 5, 1792, the small town of Krivitz in Mecklenburg experienced an event that still astonishes today: a huge tornado that swept over the town and brought unexpected “rain of fish” with it. This strange natural phenomenon caused fear on faces and left a path of destruction.
As recorded in a historical report in the “Meklenburgische Kommunalnützige Blatter”, the day was gray and rainy when an unusual cloud, described as a “cheese bag” or “funnel”, approached the city area around 3 p.m. Lightning and thunder heralded the disaster. The tornado, a creature known as a weather demon in Germanic mythology, surprised citizens with darkness and noise. Previously referred to as “wintes prut” in Old High German, the “wind bride” made people learn to fear it.
The tornado passes through Krivitz
The tornado only raged for a few minutes, but the damage was enormous. In Zapel, buildings were destroyed and trees were uprooted. In Krivitz itself, the storm tore apart the official building yard, tore off roofs and tossed straw into the air. Particularly notable was the “waterspout” that spewed water from the surrounding gardens, fields and streets.
Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of this storm was the so-called “Crivitz fish rain”. Fish that had been sucked out of a body of water by the force of the tornado suddenly lay in the alleys and waved to people as they passed by. As the sun's rays returned after the storm subsided, this was an image that was burned deep into the memory of the residents.
Historic tornadoes in Mecklenburg
The Krivitz tornado is not the only historic storm documented in Mecklenburg. Other places also experienced impressive tornadoes, such as in Woldegk in 1764, in Wustrow in 1881 and in Trinwillershagen in 1936. The “fish rain” on this September day in particular is recorded as unique. According to tornadoliste.de, such phenomena occur when tornadoes suck up fish from bodies of water and deposit them elsewhere.
An interesting historical figure shows that other cities, such as Menslage in 1852 or Jever in 1821, were also affected by similar events. Here, fish were sucked out of ponds and sometimes ended up in gardens or even on the plates of unsuspecting farmers, which often led to legal disputes.
The aftermath of the tornado
The damage was extensive, but remarkably there were no injuries - shepherds and their flocks remained unharmed. Reports speak of the garden of the “Preacher Widow House” being badly affected, where many trees were felled and where the smell of sulfur vapor was occasionally noticeable in the air. Even the Crivitzer Church was not untouched by the storm; its roof was damaged, although it remained largely intact as a structure.
After the spectacular event, peace quickly returned and the sun shone over the city again. Today, a steel sculpture on Lake Crivitz commemorates this extraordinary day and the “rain of fish”, which will put a smile on the faces of citizens long after the storm has passed.
Documenting such tornadoes and their impacts is an important part of weather research, as tornadoarchive.com emphasizes. The platform works on the historical analysis of such events and serves as a resource for researchers dealing with the effects of these forces of nature.