European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The solitary Shepherd Only a few remain in a dying Fieldy Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer leaning on his staff Peter Amend gazes across the Riverside Meadow. A few Yards away a flock of sheep Heads Down and grazing moves Ever so slowly across the pasture. In the near distance a steady Stream of cars rushes past engines whining with rpm As they career around the twisting stretch of Road that Borders the Field. At a time when millions of German yuppies set a frenetic Pace in Pursuit of the almighty deutschmark Amend 26, has stayed out of the fast Lane. Seven Days a week from May to december in rain Snow Sunshine or Hail he and his dog Anke stand watch Over their flock near the town of Neuendorf am main. In his Green knickers hat and cloak Amend is As much a picturesque anachronism As the Hilltop castles that Tower Over the surrounding main Valley. In an age when technological advances can dramatically change some professions overnight shepherding is a throwback. Its Basic components a land sheep Herder and dog a remain unchanged since ancient times. Quot it s like 1,000 years ago a Amend tells a visitor. The traditional outfit is not merely decorative. Heavy Wool clothes provide Protection from the elements As Well As from the Brush and thorns that skirt the pastures the staff with its Metal Hook and tiny Spade on one end serves As walking stick and sheep Catcher As Well As a Pointer when giving dog commands. The Spade called a Schafe Shippe sheepherder s shovels also used As a disciplinary device. If the dog disobeys or performs poorly it May have a Small shovel Ful of dirt dumped on it As punishment. Amend is self conscious and inarticulate about his reasons for becoming a sheepherder but acknowledges that it is partly tradition. He grew up in a farming family. His Grandfather was a sheepherder but gave it up in 1970, when Amend was a Small boy. Quot i took it up again a he  he owns about 100 sheep grazing them on his own land in Neuendorf As Well As on neighbors plots. He does get a Small portion of his income from the Sale of Wool. Hut most of the sheep Are raised and sold As Mutton. As is True of most professions in Germany shepherds must serve an apprenticeship and become certified. Amend became a Journeyman Shepherd in 1984, when he was 19, and in 1989 he took and passed his master sheepherder s exam. It made him a member of a select fraternity. His Home state of Bavaria has about 2,000 professional sheepherder and in All of Germany including former East Germany there Are Only 5,500, a minuscule .007 percent of the total German population. Quot every year it s fewer. Every year More die and fewer come up a Amend says. Quot when i did my apprenticeship there were three candidates in All of Bavaria. When i did my master s exam there were  in addition to the obvious physical demands a Shepherd s life requires certain sacrifices. No one gets into it for the Money Amend says. Quot we have a 70-hour week and earn about half of what someone earns who has a 35-hour  the question of what happens in Case of sickness brings a thin smile to his lips. Quot you can t get  he knows it is not a profession with a shining future. Each year he says he must raise More sheep to make the same amount of Money. Quot the work gets harder and harder and the profit margin gets  like other sheepherder in Germany Amend receives a government subsidy for Quot maintenance of Farmland . Sheep Are considered valuable to the farm Economy because their aggressive grazing keeps fallow Fields clean maintaining them As Farmland and preventing their return to Forest. Payment depends on the size of the flock and the acreage and agricultural value of the land grazed. It is a vital income supplement. Quot if that stops then there won t be any More sheepherder in Germany Quot he says. The Job s Long hours and solitary nature allow scant Opportunity for social life or Romance. Amend is not married and does not have a steady Girlfriend but he is not a Recluse. In his free time he pals around with a group of about 10 friends his age. He is the Only sheepherder in the group. On Friday and saturday nights they usually drive up the main to the discos in Karlstadt. When Amend does meet a Young woman he likes the relationship never seems to Progress beyond the initial stages. Quot it s always the same Quot Amend says. A every year it s fewer. Every year More die and fewer come  Peter Amend Quot sheepherder Are great people but. A he is philosophical about his predicament and realizes that the idea of being involved with a sheepherder is a daunting Prospect for most women. Quot who wants to help take care of sheep seven Days a week Quot he asks. But at limes the hardships Are balanced by the rewards fresh air Solitude Lack of stress. One of the things he enjoys most is just being outdoors observing nature. Quot there s always something changing Quot he says. Quot the weather. The land is always different. In the Winter it s Bare in the summer it s . And despite the profession s ancient roots there have been modern adaptations that make it easier. At dark the sheep Are penned within the confines of a portable Battery powered electric Fence. Instead of sleeping outdoors with his flock the Shepherd drives Home to spend the night with his family. As the wind swirls his cloak up around his Chest Amend turns to watch the sheep. As always most have their Heads Down moving Forward together a half step at a time clipping off the tender Green shoots of Winter wheat As neatly As an army of lawnmowers. But two have broken away and Are heading toward the River at a Trot. Quickly Anke is there cutting them off with an effortless burst of Speed and turning them Back to the rest of the flock. Amend watches approvingly. He trained the dog himself and the 3-year-old German Shepherd is not Only a tireless co worker but also a companion. Quot he s part of the family a Amend says. It is Early afternoon on this late fall Day but the Sun is already Low in the sky its weak rays slanting in to set off the Trees and forested Hills in an oblique Light but providing Little warmth. The visitor says goodbye and blows on his hands before heading for the warmth of a car. It is about five hours till dark. For the sheepherder and his dog the Day is still Young. Shepherd Peter Amend says the hardships of his Job Are balanced out by working in the fresh air and away from stress. Below he and his dog Anke tend to business. A amps photos by Dave Casey