21/10/2026
Nuremberg: 21 Rooms. 21 Stories.
Today: Peter Henlein. Room 21.
A technical revolution, a famous inventor, and a myth that survived for centuries.
500 years ago, church bells determined the rhythm of everyday life. They told people when to pray, when to work, and when the day was over.
Time was public, controlled by an authority.
But then, here in Nuremberg, a technical revolution began: Time became portable!
One of the pioneers was Peter Henlein, a Nuremberg locksmith who helped develop small mechanical clocks that people could carry in their pockets.
For centuries, he was celebrated as the inventor of the pocket watch. In 1905, Nuremberg even erected a monument in his honour.
His reputation was closely linked to a small clock in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, bearing the inscription “Peter Henlein 1510”. For a long time, it was believed to be the oldest pocket watch in the world.
However, later research revealed that the clock had been assembled from older and newer parts in the 19th century. Even the inscription was added later.
So was Peter Henlein really the inventor of the pocket watch? Probably not.
But the technical revolution was real.
And the story of its supposed inventor became a myth.
Because we are not the only children of our time. The stories we tell about the past are, too.
And at Hotel Drei Raben, this story has its own room: Room 21.
21 Rooms. 21 Stories.
Stories of this City.
BoutiqueHotel NurembergHistory
