Biedenkopf border crossing
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The Grenzgang in Biedenkopf is a historical festival that takes place every seven years in the small town of Biedenkopf in central Hesse . The aim of the “border crossing” is to control the course of the city limits during a hike through the city forest lasting several days. From the administrative process of crossing the border , which goes back to the 17th century, a folk festival developed at the end of the 19th century. Since then, it has been determined by activists, who essentially organize themselves in men's societies and fraternities and from whose ranks important officials for the organization and design of this festival are provided.
The Grenzgang in Biedenkopf takes account of its nature, history and dimension a prominent and leading role regarding comparable events a.
history
In the Middle Ages there were repeated border disputes between the city and its neighboring communities over the numerous forests. Occasionally the border markings were moved to the detriment of the city. The earliest documented mention of a border dispute is dated to 1525. In order to check the correct position of these markings, a border inspection took place every seven years. The first mention of such a border inspection can be found in 1693. In addition to the citizens of the city, those responsible from the neighboring communities were also present to clarify any disagreements on the spot.
After the markings were replaced by heavy boundary stones in the 18th century and cadastres were created in the 19th century , the border inspection lost its actual purpose. But from 1839 onwards it became a popular festival in the region. Since this first border festival in 1839, the boundary of the Biedenköpfer district is no longer bypassed, but that of the city forest. Further festivals followed in 1848, 1857 and 1864. The border crossing planned in 1871 was postponed to 1872 due to a bad harvest. In 1879 there was no border crossing due to a lack of interest. Due to the commitment of committed citizens who founded a border crossing committee in 1881 , the border crossing was carried out again in 1886. The city flag comes from this year . Since then, the 7-yearly cycle should be adhered to, unless war or economic hardship contradicted implementation. But the next border crossing had to be postponed from 1893 to 1894 because of another bad harvest. This was followed by the border crossings in 1900 and 1907. The beginning of the First World War prevented the border crossing in 1914. Due to inflation and the resulting economic problems, the border crossing in 1921 had to be canceled. In 1928 and 1935 border crossings took place again. Due to the Second World War , the border crossing in 1942 was omitted. The border crossing in 1949 had to be postponed to 1950 because of the currency reform that had taken place and the ongoing economic problems of the post-war period. The border crossing song , popular since then, originates from the time of the first border crossing after the Second World War, which begins with the line "From dream and night, our border crossing has awakened". Following the 7-year cycle, the next border crossing took place in 1956. Since then, this cycle has been maintained uninterrupted; border crossings followed in 1963, 1970, 1977, 1984, 1991, 1998, 2005, 2012 and 2019.
The border crossing takes place on the third weekend in August; therefore the next border crossing festival is planned for August 13-15, 2026.
The border crossing room in the hinterland museum offers an insight into the history of the border crossing in Biedenkopf.
Preparations
Towards the end of the previous year of a border crossing, a general meeting of the border crossing association takes place, in which a decision is made as to whether the border crossing “goes out”. After Easter the Grenzgang year, the Board of Grenzgang association that calls Grenzgang Committee on to form male societies and fraternities. In fact, new societies are seldom formed, but the societies that existed from previous border crossings begin to meet regularly in their regular bars to prepare for the upcoming festival.
They choose their leaders; The number of leaders depends on the total number of men or boys: One leader is elected for every 30 members. Furthermore, secretaries, computers and flag bearers are elected and riders named. Other roles to be filled are mostly women or girls leaders, barrel masters and groundskeepers. The officials are elected in meetings of the men and boys leaders , the riders and the committee : citizen colonel, male captain, boy colonel, boy captain, Moor, runners and sappers.
The men's societies are named after districts or streets. A citizen's membership in a men's society generally depends on his place of residence. In part, this also applies to the boys and fraternities, but traditionally this classification is more free; often also tied to the respective local pub.
During these meetings of the societies - in a humorous way - "penalties" for (mostly intentional) improper behavior of those present are pronounced, the amount of which is measured in "liters". One liter corresponds to one euro; this unit comes from a time when a liter of beer cost one German mark (as the currency unit at that time). Other events of various kinds are also used during the months of preparation to fill the coffers of the companies. The aim is that citizens and fellows do not have to pay for the necessary drinks during the border crossing days.
A high point in the preparation time of the societies is the “ribbon presentation”. In a joint event by citizens and women or boys and girls, a “ribbon” created by the women or girls is presented in a festive atmosphere and attached to the society's flag . This "bow" is a textile strip or pennant, usually artfully embroidered and provided with the current year. This demonstrates the closeness of women to their local men's society and of girls to “their” fraternity.
During a "music ride", the officers' horses get used to the unfamiliar sounds of the band and the cracking of the whips of the runners.
In the last days before the border crossing festival, the city is lavishly decorated by the border crossing companies and the residents of the respective streets. Among other things, the women and girls tie garlands from spruce branches and attach them in the streets and on the houses. The closeness of the residents of Biedenkopf to their forest (historical exclamation in Hinterländer Platt : "Da Waald es inser!") Is also illustrated by the fact that hundreds of trees are cut in the city forest and decorate the streets of the former district town for the duration of the border festival. The locals now talk about the forest coming into the city: "Da Waald kommen ih de Stoad!"
The final of the preparation time takes place on the evening before the first day of the border crossing, the so-called " Kommers ". On Wednesday evening you can find yourself at the market square and in the surrounding streets to make your first encounters with visitors and music bands who have come in a relaxed atmosphere.
procedure
The city forest boundary of Biedenkopf is walked on three days. Every day in the early morning the city's population is woken up by gunfire from the Schlossberg. The men's societies and fraternities are led from their districts to the market square with music.
On the first day there will be speeches and an honor for the dead. Otherwise the rituals are the same on the three days: the companies with their leaders and riders form on the market square, the leaders report the number of citizens and lads present to their captains, who in turn report the total number of citizens and lads present to the colonels. After the command of the citizen colonel: “Grenzgang marsch!”, A procession of all those involved forms to the beginning of the city limits.
The procession is led by the sappers , the city flag , the citizen colonel , as well as the Moor and the two runners . This is followed by the men's societies and the fraternities with their riders and guides. The train leads from the city center to the entrance of a border section. On the first two days, the border on the left of the Lahn is crossed, on the third day the border on the right of the Lahn. In the middle of the border inspection, there is a rest on a breakfast spot in the forest.
During a two-hour stay, the companies celebrate and welcome their guests by taking the guests "under the flag" - they are thrown into the air three times by "lifting commands" while waving flags. Guests, who are still unfamiliar with the border line, turn to the Mohr and the two runners ; They are “hopped” - they experience a sensual experience in that their buttocks make three contact with a boundary stone, with the words “The stone - the boundary - in eternity”.
After the rest, the cross-border commuter train starts moving again to cross the rest of the border section. The train ends in the early afternoon at the starting point of the border inspection, the city center. Later in the afternoon there will be another line-up on the market square. Then there is a parade to the fairground; The day ends in the marquee.
The course of the border inspection during the three days in detail:
First day
After marching out of the market square, the "Grenzgänger" train first through the city center and the upper town via Hainstraße in a northerly direction to Ludwigshütte and then briefly follows the former route of the combination of B62 and B253 in the direction of Wallau to the entrance to the city limits - to the right of the route, to the left of the Lahn, towards the east; clockwise from cartographic top view. This "entry" is also the beginning of the highest ascent of the entire border inspection - the ascent of the Kleeberg - and thus represents the greatest physical challenge for the cross-border commuters over all days. The rest takes place at the breakfast place on the bagpipe . The rest area was relocated to the border crossing in 1963, previously it was a place on Thälchens Triesch . After the construction of an asphalted “transmitter road” to the Biedenkopf transmitter , it made sense for logistical reasons to choose this place on the edge of the new road in order to make it easier for cross-border commuters to get refreshments. As far as the bagpipe , the border is bordered by Weifenbach , then by Eifa and Dexbach to the Breiten Wiese . The border inspection of the day ends there and the train of cross-border commuters turns to return home to Biedenkopf via the relay .
Second day
The second and third day of the border crossing usually begin with shorter times when setting up on the market square, since the honors and speeches on the first day are not required. On the second day, there is an ascent over the relay to the Breite Wiese - the point at which the border inspection on the first day ended. This second day is considered to be the “easiest” day for cross-border commuters, as neither the distance nor the ascents make demands that the other two days entail. After entering the border at the Breite Wiese , the border inspection continues in a clockwise direction until you reach the Lahn valley at the Erlenmühle . At the end of the second day, the border inspection on the left of the Lahn is completed. The rest takes place on this day at the breakfast place Hasenhardt .
third day
On the third day of the border inspection, the entry into the border inspection takes place at the same point as on the first day - but now towards the west and in a cartographic plan view counterclockwise. The stage of this third day is the longest route of all three days of the border inspections. The rest takes place at the Split Stone . A special feature is the last stage, to the Gonzhäuser field , a steep descent. At the destination (near the Erlenmühle ) and thus at the end of the entire border inspection, a list of the companies and dignitaries takes place and by addressing the citizen colonel, an appreciation of the current border crossing takes place, with wishes for the next border crossing.
Contributors
The Grenzgang in Biedenkopf is supported by a number of contributors:
- The citizen colonel represents the citizenry of the city and is the highest representative of the border gang. He leads the border crossing on horseback and is accompanied by two horseback adjutants.
- The male captain represents the male societies , he is assisted by an adjutant and represents the citizen colonel on the border when he cannot be present, because only parts of the border are passable on horseback.
- The boy colonel represents all fraternities . He and his two adjutants are on horseback.
- The lad captain represents the lad colonel on foot. He is assisted by an adjutant.
- The two sappers wear forest workers' clothes and an ax; they represent the forest workers who ensure that the path along the border is clear.
- The three city flag bearers carry the city flag .
- The Mohr is a symbolic figure and one of the most illustrious figures of the border crossing. He wears a black uniform with gold buttons, wields a (curved) saber and likes to dance around. His face is blackened, a full beard is mandatory. It is said to have served to scare and drive away envious neighbors, but this is not proven. Nowadays it is considered an honor to be contacted by the Mohr and to have black marks of this contact on your face.
- The two runners are further symbolic figures together with the Mohr and are often perceived as a trio with him. They wear white trousers and reversible vests, the blue side of which is worn outside in the morning and the red side in the afternoon. Their role is essentially to ensure the transmission of messages between the officers during the border inspection and to ensure compliance with the border inspection. They also use their whips for impressive demonstrations of cracking whips.
- Married men organize themselves in the eleven men's societies ; they are led by male leaders .
- Unmarried and mostly young men organize themselves in the seven fraternities ; they are led by fellow leaders.
- All border gang activists are organized in the border gang association.
- The board of directors of the Grenzgangverein forms the committee .
Girls support fraternities , married women support men's societies .
Societies
In the course of history there have been new companies founded, but also discontinuations. The following list shows the status of the border crossing in 2019.
| Male society | exists since | Flag of | Number of leaders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallows Mountain | First mentioned in 1864 | 1872 / new 1970 | 3 |
| Hainstrasse | First mentioned in 1864 | 1872 | 6th |
| Rabbit run | Established in 1970 | 1970 | 6th |
| Hewwe on drewwe da Läh | First mentioned in 1864 | before 1894/2005 | 4th |
| Hospitalstrasse | First mentioned in 1864 | 1894 | 5 |
| In the beautiful meadow | Founded in 1956 | 1956 | 6th |
| Kottenbach / market square | First mentioned in 1864 | 1894 / new 1984 | 3 |
| Ludwigshütte | First mentioned in 1864 | 1886 | 3 |
| Upper Town | First mentioned in 1864 | 1872 | 6th |
| Stadtgasse | First mentioned in 1900 | 1900 | 3 |
| Thauwinkel / Eschenberg | First mentioned in 1864 | 1894 | 4th |
| Fraternity | exists since | Flag of | Number of leaders |
| Adolf Schäfer | First mentioned in 1894 | 1894/2005 | 2 |
| Balbach | Founded in 1894 | 1894 | 4th |
| Billerbach | Founded in 1956 | 1956 | 3 |
| Rabbit run | Founded in 1984 | 1984 | 3 |
| Hoffmann on the brook | First mentioned in 1886 | 1886/1986 | 3 |
| Ludwigshütte | First mentioned in 1886 | 1872? | 2 |
| Upper Town | First mentioned in 1886 | 1886 | 3 |
Photo gallery
- Impressions from the border crossing 2012
Consecration of the new "city flag"; In the background you can see the old city flag from 1886, which will be replaced by the new flag.
The back of the new "city flag"
Morning line-up of men's societies and fraternities on the market square
The men and boys' leaders “present their rifles” when they are set up
The train of participants through the "Upper Town"
The citizen colonel
The boy-colonel with his two aides
The Moor and the two runners
The prancing and saber-swinging Moor
Runners cracking a whip in the market square
The procession is led by sappers, forest officials and the “city flag”.
See also
Literature and film
- Biedenkopfer border corridor letters from 1907. Heinzerling'sche Buchdruckerei, Biedenkopf 1907 ( PDF file; 4.35 MB ).
- Wilhelm Mauß: The border crossing to Biedenkopf. An old historical festival, described by Wilhelm Mauß . Max Stephani, Biedenkopf 1907 ( PDF file; 5.21 MB ).
- Günter Bäumner : The Biedenkopfer Grenzgangfest in its historical basis and development . Biedenkopf 1956.
- Günter Bäumner: Border crossing in Biedenkopf - origin, development and course of the historical home festival . 2nd Edition. 1986.
- Erich Weidemann: The Biedenkopfer Grenzgangfest in pictures . 2005, ISBN 3-00-015446-9 .
- Hans-Georg 'Honnes' Wagner and Walter Achenbach: The stone - the limit - in eternity; historical small monuments on the Biedenkopfer border crossing . Ed .: Grenzgangverein Biedenkopf eV Biedenkopf 2019.
The Grenzgang in Biedenkopf was the template for the framework of the novel Grenzgang by Stephan Thome , which was filmed under the same title with Claudia Michelsen and Lars Eidinger in the leading roles. The shooting took place in Biedenkopf in 2012. Directed by Brigitte Bertele .
Web links
- Website of the Grenzgangverein Biedenkopf e. V.
- Photos from the border crossing in Biedenkopf 2012 on the website of the Upper Hessian Press
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Borderline. In: Biedenkopf.de. Retrieved November 13, 2018 .
- ↑ “Should the border crossing nausgieh?” - Marburg-Biedenkopf region - Mittelhessen.de . ( Mittelhessen.de [accessed on November 13, 2018]).
- ↑ Seven years of waiting are over in FAZ of August 18, 2012, page 27
- ^ Stephan Thome : Grenzgang . Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-518-42116-1 .
- ↑ Crossing the border. In: filmportal.de . German Film Institute , accessed on September 23, 2016 .