Klopotec: The Wooden Machines That Protect Europe's Vineyards

In the middle of a parking lot in front of a supermarket in Schloßberg, in the district of Leibnitz in the Austrian state of Styria, stands a giant wooden structure that looks like a windmill. Known as a klopotec, this 19-meter tall structure with its imposing blades is a bird scarer, and is a cultural symbol of the wine growing regions of Slovenia and Styria.

The klopotec in Schloßberg. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The klopotec has between four and eight blades with a sail or vane at the back so that blades are always positioned facing the wind. As the axis rotates, wooden hammers are lifted off their resting position by fixed notches. As they fall back, they rhythmically impact on a wooden board. The quality of the sound is dependent on the wood of which the hammers and sounding boards are made, while the rattle frequency depends on the number of hammers, as well as changes in wind speed. The axel is usually made of hardwood such as chestnut or oak, the hammers are made of beechwood, while the board against which the hammers strike is made from chestnut or cherry. The sail is made from poplar or fig.

The klopotec first appeared during the period of the Enlightenment, in the late 17th century, although some claims that it dates back at least to the 16th century. One theory holds that the klopotec is of Slovene origin, while a rival theory claims that it was first used in the 18th century in the fields by the French.

The clatter of the klopotec is characteristic of southern Styrian and Slovenian vineyards, although their effectiveness is debatable. The device is used primarily to scare starlings and other birds off the vineyards so that they do not peck grapes. A folk belief also states that klopotecs drive snakes from the vineyards and soften grapes.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The klopotec is most frequently heard in the transnational region from Southwest Styria (e.g., the Sausal mountain range and the Weinstraße) to Eastern Slovenia: the Slovene Hills, Haloze and Prlekija, less frequently in Lower Carniola and White Carniola. It is also found in Southwestern Slovenia, in the Littoral Region and in Croatia's Zagorje, Međimurje and Podravina regions. These areas traditionally produce white wines.

The rattles are traditionally set up on 25 July (Feast of Saint James) or on 15 August (Assumption Day), and remains in place till 1 November (All Saints Day), but no later than on 11 November (Feast of Saint Martin). If a husbandman forgets to take it down, the youth from the village can steal it and leave a message about the ransom that he must pay to get it back.

The klopotec is now mostly a tradition as the birds have supposedly grown accustomed to the rattling sound it makes. The only thing that works against birds, according to a local famer, are nets.