March into the Listenbach
The march in the Listenbach is a traditional parade at the beginning of the Whitsun weekend in the north Hessian town of Frankenberg (Eder) . The centuries-old custom, which had been neglected during the war years, was revived in 1948 by teachers from the Ortenberg School.
procedure
The Frankenberg Whitsun Festival begins on the Friday before Whitsun with the so-called march in the Listenbach, which immediately follows the previous May procession and traditionally only men should take part. The May procession and the march into the Listenbach are led by the " prominent " Frankenbergs, consisting of the city councilors , the mayor and officers of the Bundeswehr units stationed in the Burgwald barracks as well as regional and national politicians. They are accompanied by the traditional figure Butzemann , citizens of all ages and genders, various bands and colorfully costumed children from the Frankenberg elementary schools.
When the May procession ends, the men move on alone on the march that follows. The goal of this march is a clearing of the Burgwald , east of Burgwald-Bottendorf , near the source of the Listenbach. A beer mushroom awaits the men there, as well as a sausage stand for food and drink. In addition to the traditional address by the mayor, the social event is accompanied by music by the Frankenberg town band. The event usually ends in the afternoon as soon as the nationally known Frankenberg Whitsun Market has officially opened.
The local THW association provides power generation units and cable reels for the supply of electricity.
tradition
The black-clad Butzemann , who carries an ax adorned with flowers next to a stick and is seen as a frightening child, represents winter and, together with the warband, represents the fight between spring and winter. It is therefore a custom from pagan times. The march takes place on a Friday, the weekday of Freya , the goddess of spring.
The march probably goes to the Listenbach, because once the men and later the city workers felled the Pentecost trees there, which were then erected in the city.
Newcomers who take part for the first time will be decorated by the mayor with a meadow bush on their arm and thus identified as such.
The fact that, according to tradition, women are not supposed to take part in this march and are explicitly unloaded in the corresponding invitation to the May procession that takes place before it, causes critical discussions again and again. Proponents of the traditional custom argue that women are not prevented from actually participating and, for example, take part in the town band accompanying the march. In addition, the same applies to men during women's carnival . The traditional reason for women not wanting to participate is uncertain. One explanation is that during wartime the men had to stand guard on the Frankenberg city wall and the women made fun of it; therefore they were not allowed to take part in the event, which was similar to a border crossing, because they had not taken guarding the city seriously enough.
In the period before the First World War , the march had a decidedly military appearance. He was led by a captain and the boys were dressed in uniforms similar to those of the Wilhelmine military . This probably goes back to an earlier siege of Frankenberg, which could only be averted by putting children in uniform under the pretense of large troops.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Maizug in the Listenbach - custom for centuries. In: Hessische / Niedersächsische Allgemeine . May 16, 2013, accessed June 15, 2013 .
- ↑ Bikemap GmbH: Route: Listenbach (F5). In: Bikemap. Retrieved August 12, 2016 .
- ↑ News - Stadtkapelle Frankenberg - Music and good humor in the Frankenberger Land. (No longer available online.) In: www.stadtkapelle-frankenberg.de. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016 ; accessed on August 12, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ program. In: pfingstmarkt.info. Retrieved August 12, 2016 .
- ↑ Jusos: Women should be there in the Listenbach. In: Hessische / Niedersächsische Allgemeine . May 22, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013 .
- ↑ A group of men who enjoy drinking - sexist? In: Frankenberger Zeitung . May 22, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013 .
