Europeade

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Europeade 2015 in Helsingborg

The Europeade is the largest European costume and folklore spectacle that takes place annually at different locations in Europe.

History and description

In August 1952, Hans-Joachim Muschiol, born on July 25, 1925 in Gleiwitz (Silesia), founded the Silesian traditional costume and youth group Altvater Rübezahl in Iserlohn in the Sauerland as a group of young Silesians. In 1959, during a seminar for this group, they met a young Belgian soldier who was a member of the Flemish folklore group St. Niklas . International contacts were established early on. The group was invited to the German meeting of Silesians in 1959, where the Flemish folk dance group Gudrun took part. The return visit in May 1960 was followed by many more encounters, where Hans-Joachim Muschiol got to know Edmond de Clopper, who was then chairman of the general association. In autumn 1963 there was a meeting in the "House of the German East" in Aachen . Participants were Edmond de Clopper and Hans-Joachim Muschiol in agreement with Heinz Heidenreich, Federal Group Leader of the Silesian Youth, who agreed to Muschiol's suggestion that the Federal Group of Silesian Youth should participate in the Europeade. At that time, Hans-Joachim Muschiol assured Edmond de Clopper that the Silesian Youth from North Rhine-Westphalia would come to the planned event Europeade with many groups (600 members in total). The date for the event was April 4th and 5th, 1964, Antwerp in Flanders. Groups from all over the Federal Republic of Germany should also participate. This was the starting signal for the major event called Europeade, which took place on April 4th and 5th, 1964. Some groups in exile from Eastern Europe also participated in the first Europeade in Antwerp. These were the Ukrainian exile group from Genk, the Yugoslav exile group from Osnabrück, the Polish exile group from Dortmund and another group from the Baltic States. At first it wasn't just Flemish and Silesian, now there are traditional costume wearers from 180 regions of Europe who meet annually.

The organizers of the Europeade had set out to support a Europe that was growing closer together, in which everyone brings their own culture with them, lives and fosters it - without wanting to restrict the other. This succeeds for five days every year, when thousands of people wearing traditional costumes from Europe meet in different places, sing, make music, dance and celebrate without big speeches.

Venues

literature

Web links

Commons : Europeade  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Official website of the Europeade 2016
  2. ↑ Official website of the Europeade 2019