Domestic cattle

The Hinterwald measures a maximum of 120 cm in the withers and is the smallest Central European breed of cattle. Because of its resilience, frugality and surefootedness, it was bred in the Black Forest in the 18th century and kept on the barren, steep, meagre soils of the highlands. As meat and milk production increasingly relied on high-performance cattle, Hinterwald cattle were almost extinct by the 1970s. Even today, it is included in the Red List of Threatened Livestock breeds and is thus an endangered witness to the rich cultural and natural treasures of our region. This female specimen has been in the collection at the Museum Natur und Mensch (Museum of Nature and Man) since 2000. The cow went by the name »Bärbel« and lived in a pasture near the Schauinsland to the age of twelve (* 20.02.1987, † 28.10.1999).