image author: Wikipedia

The Huckup is a monument created by the Dresden sculptor Roeder in 1905. It is situated at the corner Schuhstraße and Hoher Weg, at the southern end of the pedestrian zone in Hildesheim. It pictures the old Hildesheim legend of the Huckup (high German: 'Hock-auf' (piggy-back)), a goblin who, embodying the bad conscience - jumps thieves onto their backs. In the depiction, which should serve all thieves as a warning, is a young apple thief who is beset this way.

The inscription at the base, written in Hildesheimer low German reads:

Junge, lat dei Appels stahn,
süs packet deck dei Huckup an /
Dei Huckup is en starken Wicht,
hölt mit dei Stehldeifs bös Gericht.

(Boy let the apples be otherwise the Huckup will grab you / the Huckup is a strong gnome who will punish you hard)