Schlappentag

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Schlappentag parade in front of the shooting house

In Hof (Saale) traditionally every year on the Monday after Trinity - exactly one week after Whit Monday , the Schlappentag takes place. A special strong beer, the Schlappenbier , is brewed especially for this occasion . The Schlappentag is part of Bavaria's intangible cultural heritage.

History of the Hofer Schlappentag

In 1415 , the Czech pre-reformer Jan Hus , who was a fighter against abuses in the church, was sentenced to death at the stake as a heretic . His followers then forcibly tried to reform the church. The Hussites captured the city of Hof on January 25, 1430 and completely destroyed it. Only the castle remained largely intact. After the troops left, the city had to be rebuilt.

In this emergency the people of Hof turned to the Margrave of Brandenburg . This granted the petitioners ten years of tax exemption in a letter of freedom. However, the condition was that the citizens should equip themselves with handguns in order to be able to defend themselves better in case of later attacks. As a result, a rifle guild consisting mainly of craftsmen was founded around 1432, which had to take part in target practice and competitions every year.

In order to avoid imminent sanctions, most of the shooters rushed to the shooting house on the morning of the Monday after Trinity , the last day of the target practice, in their work clothes and the local wooden shoes (slippers). There they were trained in how to use the musket under the supervision of a marksman . From year to year the number of shooters increased and with it the interest in these target practice. As a result, a train of Schlappenschützen formed on the Monday in question and marched to the shooting range .

In 2019, the Hofer Schlappentag was entered in the Bavarian State Directory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Annual parade of the rifle guild

The former sovereign thanked the riflemen for their services with privileges such as brewing rights . The Privileged Target Shooting Society of 1432 Hof has been the successor of the Hof shooting company for over 580 years. The process always follows the same ritual:

  1. Morning wake-up call
  2. 8:00 a.m .: Assembly of the craft guilds and riflemen at the shooting house
  3. Move to the town hall
  4. Reception by the mayor and the rifle commissioner
  5. 9:45 a.m .: Pageant with representatives from politics, crafts and shooters
  6. Parade through the whole city (via Ludwigstraße, Altstadt, Luitpoldstraße, Marienstraße and Konrad-Adenauer-Platz)
  7. Arrival at the fairground

Schlappenbier

As soon as the parade reaches the festival area, the first barrel of Schlappenbier, a drinkable strong beer that is only brewed for this day, is tapped and served in the marquee. Hofer bratwursts are served with Schlappenbier .

In 2010, the 153 year old brewery Zeltbräu had to file for bankruptcy due to financing problems.

From 2011 the Schlappenbier will be brewed according to the original recipe by the Scherdel Brewery .

Schlappenschießen

Shooting skills can be demonstrated on the day before the actual slap day, Sunday . Particular attention will be paid to public figures, craftsmen and shooters who are publicly invited to participate. If an invited participant does not show up, a fine will be payable. However, the participant can “buy” an anonymous shooter.

Schlappenschießen is subject to the shooting rules of the old craft. It still takes place in the same place, in the trench at the shooting house, as it did over 570 years ago. This cottage is the meeting place on Trinity morning. So that everyone involved, one more talented, the other less talented, has the same chance, old room nozzles are used while seated, and each shooter can try to hit the mark with three shots.

In the past, taxes were waived by the municipal authorities as a bonus for a certain period of time . Nowadays, the three best shooters are given the right to park their car free of charge in all public parking lots within the city for one or six months .

The Schlappenkönig, i.e. the winner of the shooting competition, is awarded a silver chain bearing the emblems of the craft guilds and the ten Hofer shooting clubs. The Schlappenkönig also takes on representation tasks.

Golden slippers

The Golden Slipper is the highest order of the Target Shooting Society. It is awarded to people who have rendered service to society, the craft or the city of Hof. It is a miniature of a slipper made of solid gold with a diamond and is made exclusively for this award by a goldsmith from Hof. This slipper is made new and individually every year and is therefore unique .

The medal was awarded to the former Prime Minister Max Streibl , the former chairman of the Hof textile group , Ernst Häcker, and the President of the Chamber of Crafts , Senator Emil Preissinger . The name of the person to be honored remains unknown until it is awarded at the rifle reception in the town hall.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.frankenpost.de/region/hof/Hofer-Schlappentag-gehoert-zum-immaterielle-Kulturerbe;art83415,7053091
  2. ↑ Shock for "Schlappenbier" friends: Zeltbräu broke - Article in the newspaper Nordbayerische Nachrichten of March 5, 2010 (accessed on May 13, 2010)
  3. ↑ Hofer Schlappentag is secured
  4. ↑ https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/leben/goldener-schlappen.html