Sebastian Brotherhood Rheinfelden

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Well singing

The Sebastian Brotherhood Rheinfelden was founded in 1541 as a brotherhood during a plague epidemic in Rheinfelden and is named after the patron saint of plague sufferers, Saint Sebastian .

history

Rheinfelden was hit by plague epidemics as early as 1146, 1347 and 1439. At that time it was feared that the devastating disease would be transmitted via water and the wells were also protected with precise regulations. The Sebastian Brotherhood was founded as a plague brotherhood, in solidarity with the sick they cared for and to bury the dead. Both extremely dangerous companies, because the contagion was almost inevitable. The extent of the plague in 1541 moved twelve men to found the Sebastian Brotherhood and to introduce a Christmas and New Year tradition that is still practiced today. The name of the brotherhood can be traced back to Saint Sebastian, who is considered a protector from the plague.

regional customs

Every year on December 24 to get the twelve men of the Brotherhood, dressed in black coats and black cylinder supporting, in the Church of St. Martin their lantern and begin their one-hour tour after the last bell shock at 23 o'clock through the darkened old city. The strict marching formation is broken up into a column of three at a total of six wells. The lantern bearer is positioned at a sufficient distance in front of each well and is framed in a circle by the eleven remaining members. The Christmas carol is sung at every fountain; the same four stanzas are always sung. On December 31 ( New Year's Eve ) at 9 p.m. the custom is repeated with the New Year's song.

Due to the solemnity, mysticism and long tradition of the custom, many local and foreign visitors regularly visit the fountain singing. At Christmas there is a traditional midnight mass , and on New Year's Eve there has been a short organ concert in the town church of St. Martin for several years. In memory of St. Sebastian, the Sebastian Brothers also take part in the commemorative mass on Sebastian Day every year on January 20, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes of the brotherhood .

literature

  • Gottlieb Wyß: 1541-1941. Four hundred years of fountain singing by the Sebastian Brotherhood in Rheinfelden . Rheinfelden, 1941
  • Werner Brogli, Martin Krieg: The plague and the Sebastiani brotherhood Rheinfelden. School documentation for the middle and upper grades for the exhibition in the Fricktaler Museum , Rheinfelden, 2007.
  • Federal Office for Culture FOC: List of "living traditions" UNESCO with documentation, CD, DVD; June 23, 2012 www.lebendige-tradUNGEN.ch
  • Gottlieb Wyss: The Christmas singing of the Sebastianibrüder in Rheinfelden. A folk custom and a folk song. Rheinfelden, 1930
  • Fritz Münzner: The fountain singing of the Sebastianbruderschaft in Rheinfelden. In: Rheinfelder Neujahrsblätter 1971, p. 7-27
  • Immanuel Kammerer: The melody of the Rheinfelder Sebastianiliedes. In: Swiss Archives of Folklore Vol. 42. Basel, 1945, p. 39-48

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ School documentation (PDF file, 2.8 MB)
  2. ↑ Solution part for school documentation (PDF file, 1.6 MB)