Memminger fair
The Memmingen annual fair has been a market event that has been held in Memmingen in Upper Swabia in Bavaria since 1541 . With over 150,000 visitors per year, it is one of the most important events in Memmingen. At the same time, during the time of the general store from Tuesday to Thursday, with around 500 commercial stalls, it is the largest inner city fair in southern Germany . Since 1730, the market has always been held in the week before St. Gall's death (October 16).
history
The first market in Memmingen was the weekly market after the Aftermeedig . On February 8, 1286, King Rudolf von Habsburg allowed the city to hold the weekly market that had been taking place for some time.
The annual fair has been in use since July 14, 1541 : On this day, Emperor Charles V gave the city of Memmingen permission to postpone the fair, which had been held on St. Ulrich's Day (July 4), to any other time . “Because there are a lot of people still working in the fields”. This also shows that there must have been a fair beforehand. In other comparable imperial cities , the privilege of the fair is proven in the first half of the 14th century , so that it can be assumed that it has also been held in Memmingen since this time.
Extension to four days and postponement to St. Gallus Day
The Döderlein Chronicle shows that the Memmingen annual market, which previously lasted three days, was extended to four days in 1730. Furthermore, this year the city's magistrate decreed that the market should in future always take place on the “Tuesday before Galli” (October 16). This is clear from the publication in the Memminger News from 1797:
“The public is hereby made to know that the local annual fair before this year should begin again on Tuesday before Galli, October 13th, and continue the next three days. However, Anbey is also informed that no barkers and harbors of fortune, and also Brent games, are permitted. Memmingen, September 1st, 1797 Canzleys allda "
The market square, the parlor of the city, was the place of the fair in the 15th and 16th centuries . It was not until 1806 that it was decided to move to the Weinmarkt and expand it via the Rossmarkt , the Schweizerberg to the Westertorplatz , to the east along the entire Maximilianstrasse . Only after a house on Schweizerberg and part of the old city wall had been demolished in order to provide access to the Bismarck School, which was under construction , could Westertorplatz be included from 1901. This is proven by pictures from 1903.
In the war years 1917 and 1918 there was no fair. Until 1938 the fair was held unchanged. When war broke out in 1939, however, it had to be canceled. The city council feared that the retail stores would be "robbed" by hamster purchases. The fair took place again between 1940 and 1943, but the number of showmen and shopkeepers remained far below that of the pre-war period.
In 1944 there was no fair due to the danger of bombing . There was also no fair during the occupation in 1945.
post war period
The fair has been held continuously since 1946. Between 1955 and 1964, in addition to the traditional Galli fair, the folk festival took place in early spring . Due to the enormous noise pollution (there was also a beer tent at this folk festival), this event had to be stopped again by resolution of the city council.
With the construction of the Karstadt department store on Königsgraben in 1975, part of Westertorplatz was also lowered. This made it necessary to expand the market to the St. Josefs Kirchplatz and the Königs- and Kaisergraben . The tableware market , which had previously been located on the church square, was moved to the Hallhof . This enabled the remaining area of the Hallhof to be made available to the general store.
The specialty of the Memmingen fair is that it is divided into two parts. The hype takes place from Saturday before Galli to Sunday after Galli , i.e. for nine days . From Tuesday before Galli to Thursday is the time of the grocer's market. On the first Sunday of the fair, the retail shops are also open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Web links
literature
Heinz Beyer: Memmingen fair ... the ups and downs in time - from 1910 to 1995 . MZ-Verlagsdruckerei GmbH, Memmingen 1996, ISBN 3-927003-22-0 .