In the heart of Germany’s oldest city, Cologne, a tale as old as time itself has been shared generation after generation about the helpful Heinzelmännchen gnomes. These gnomes, hailing all the way back to the Middle Ages, were said to have performed all of the city’s labor overnight, allowing the hardworking people of Cologne to wake up to finished products and clean workshops. The earliest evidence of this folklore stretches back to a poem in 1826 by August Kopisch, which describes the gnomes’ ventures, their tasks varied from bakers, cobblers, tailors, to even brewers. The people of Cologne benefitted greatly from their industrious nocturnal neighbors and respected their wish to work in peace, undisturbed and unseen.The harmony, however, was broken by a tailor’s curious wife. In an attempt to catch a glimpse of these unseen helpers, she scattered peas on the workshop floor. Unfortunately, the gnomes slipped and slid, uncovering their stealth likened to an invisible cloth. Furious and embarrassed, the Heinzelmännchen disappeared, never to be seen again, leaving behind unfinished tasks and a city deprived of its magical helpers. Ever since, locals lament the loss of these diligent, nocturnal workers who eased their lives.The story of the Heinzelmännchen served as a regional allegory, showing great cultural and historical influence on Cologne. Today, this legend is honored with the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen, a fountain that features sculptures of the industrious, yet elusive gnomes. This remains to be one of Cologne’s most loved folklore stories, instilling a sense of pride and nostalgia among locals.