{{Short description|18th-century court jester}} [[File:Perkeo of Heidelberg.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Stained glass]] painting of Perkeo shown with his three symbols: wine goblet, key and clock]]
'''Perkeo of Heidelberg''' (born '''Clemens Pankert'''; according to other sources, '''Giovanni Clementi'''; 1702–1735) was a [[court jester]] and [[court dwarf]] who served Elector Palatine [[Charles III Philip]] in [[Heidelberg]]. As custodian of the Great [[Heidelberg Tun]], he became an enduring symbol of the city and the surrounding region. His name, legend, and likeness have since been associated with local festivals, traditional songs, cultural and scientific institutions, and numerous businesses, including hotels and restaurants, both within and beyond Heidelberg.
Perkeo’s famed fondness for wine and the Italian catchphrase "''perché no?''" ("why not?") made him a popular figure in regional folklore. His image and name recur in local culture and celebrations—particularly in carnival traditions such as the ''Fastnacht'' in Heidelberg and ''Perkeo’s Maschggra'' in [[Salorno]] (''Salurn'')—as well as in later commemorations and commercial uses.
==Life== [[File:Perkeo original.jpg|thumbnail|left|upright|Perkeo and a mandrill]]
Pankert was apparently affected by [[dwarfism]], possibly [[pseudoachondroplasia]]. He was born in [[Salorno|Salurn]] in the [[County of Tyrol]] (present-day Salorno, [[South Tyrol]]) and originally practised as a button maker. Probably about 1718 he met with [[Charles III Philip]], who had ruled as the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg]] governor of the lands of Tyrol and [[Further Austria]] since 1712. Philip took an interest in Pankert, and when he became the ruler of the [[Electoral Palatinate]], he brought him along to [[Heidelberg Castle]] as a [[cup-bearer]] and official entertainer for the court.
In Heidelberg, Pankert allegedly adopted the nickname "Perkeo" for his drinking habits, as he replied "perché no?" (“why not?” in [[Italian language|Italian]]) many times after being asked if he wanted another glass of wine at various court events. Perkeo quickly became celebrated for his massive wine consumption despite his small figure. Contemporary accounts document that he regularly drank between five and eight US gallons (roughly 18 to 30 liters) of wine a day. Since he knew much about wine, he was also given the responsibility of looking after the castle's wine stocks. Many found amusement in the striking contrast that the diminutive Perkeo was in charge of the largest wine barrel in the world, the massive [[Heidelberg Tun]], while having a strong love of drinking.{{fact|date=December 2024}}
==Reception== [[File:Heidelberg Perkeo.jpg|thumb|Perkeo statue in Heidelberg]]
Perkeo's fate was perpetuated in a letter by [[Victor Hugo]] (1802–1885), after his 1840 visit to Heidelberg Castle.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Hugo_-_%C5%92uvres_compl%C3%A8tes,_Impr._nat.,_En_voyage,_tome_I.djvu/357 Text at fr.wikisource.org]</ref> [[Joseph Victor von Scheffel]] (1826–1886) added Perkeo's drinking song to his ''Gaudeamus'' collection, published in 1863. In Heidelberg, his commemoration is annually celebrated during the [[Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria|carnival]] (''[[Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht|Fastnacht]]'') season, likewise in Salorno (''Maschggra'').
The [[trademark]] PERKÊO for lamp components was registered under No. 1 by the German [[Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt|Imperial Patent Office]] on 16 October 1894 and is protected up to today.<ref>[https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/1/DE?lang=en DPMA register entry]</ref> ''Perkeo'' is also the name of a historic inn in Heidelberg and of a ''[[Hedera helix]]'' (ivy) variety named in 1982. The PERKEO group at the Institute of Physics of the [[Heidelberg University]] examines free [[neutron]] decay.
==In popular culture== Perkeo is referenced in the [[Poker]]-themed video game ''[[Balatro]]''. In the game, he is represented by a red-haired [[Joker (playing card)| joker]] with a large green dress. His ability, making copies of consumables that do not take up space, is a nod to his ability to drink so much while being such a small person, as if what he drank wasn't taking up space in his body.
==Further reading== * Harry B. Davis: "What Happened in Heidelberg: From Heidelberg Man to the Present": Verlag Brausdruck GmbH, 1977. * Victor Hugo: "Heidelberg" of Frankfurt am Main: Societäts-Verlag, 2003.
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.physi.uni-heidelberg.de/Forschung/ANP/Perkeo/theorie.php Heidelberg Institute of Physics]
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkeo Of Heidelberg}} [[Category:18th-century German people]] [[Category:18th-century Austrian people]] [[Category:Jesters]] [[Category:People from the County of Tyrol]] [[Category:People from Salurn]] [[Category:Entertainers from Heidelberg]] [[Category:German people of Austrian descent]] [[Category:1702 births]] [[Category:1735 deaths]] [[Category:Court dwarfs]]