Weather Expert Jurik Müller: Preserving Weather Memories - Environmental Protection Proposal Request Granted to Commission for Consideration
Meteorologist Jurik Müller: Preserver of Century-Old Weather Lore
Since ancient times, the question of tomorrow's weather has sparked intrigue. Meteorologist Jurik Müller shares this fascination, maintaining a personal weather diary and pursuing meteorology studies in Berlin. His career with the German Weather Service took him to Halle and Leipzig until his retirement. Besides modern forecasting, Müller holds an interest in time-honored farmers' rules, noting their appeal due to their ease of memorization and oral transmission.
The path to his extensive collection of farmers' rules began with a newspaper article request in 1978. This piece resonated with readers, paving the way for his nascent fascination with these age-old sayings. In the end, he amassed over 10,000 traditional folklore tidbits. Additionally, Müller penned around 4,000 of his own rules based on his weather observations.
One of his early self-authored rules is: "No matter if the sun shines over the heath, on St. Simon's Day (28.10.), the cow must be taken off the pasture." Müller insists he cannot find a similar old rule advising when cattle should be removed from pastures.
Another of Müller's rules states: "If the cow turns its tail from east to west, the weather is not at its best." He explains that animals often turn their hindquarters into the wind to get a better view of potential threats. Therefore, a wind shift from east to west suggests a possible weather deterioration, with cows adjusting their positions accordingly to anticipate inclement weather.
In addition to newspaper articles, Müller authored four books on farmers' rules. His most successful work, published in 2011, was "100 farmers' rules that really work," with a print run of 15,000 copies. Müller clarified that these rules had demonstrated a higher likelihood of accuracy. Each rule was accompanied by an explanation on its relevance. Not all of these rules were traditional; some were Müller's own insights, such as: "If the cow's milk curdles in the afternoon, expect thunderstorms in the evening."
Perhaps Müller's most notable achievement is the "Angler's Weather," a specialized service featuring a tabular biting index for the 17 most common native fish species. The index indicated fishing opportunities, ranging from zero (hopeless) to ten (extremely biting). This service earned Müller a nationwide reputation.
The community has shown great interest in Müller's collection of weather lore, including vocational training in environmental science and climate-change studies, as they seek to understand and predict the weather more accurately. Müller's rules and observations, such as the one about the cow turning its tail, can provide valuable insights into weather patterns, complementing modern scientific data in vocational training programs. Furthermore, his creation of the "Angler's Weather" service, a weather forecasting tool for fishermen, showcases the usefulness of folk wisdom in managing natural resources, underlining the importance of integrating community policy with environmental science and traditional knowledge.
