Sea hare festival
The Seehasenfest is a children's and local festival in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance . It has been held annually on a weekend in July since 1949.
history
After the city was almost completely destroyed by bombing raids after the Second World War , the city fathers looked for a way to bring some joy, especially to the children. Since the city's treasury was almost empty due to the reconstruction of the city, volunteers were sought to plan and carry out the festival. The whole thing was coordinated by the newly established festival committee , which included Mayor Max Grünbeck and City Councilor Konstantin Schmäh. The idea of a children's party originally came from Konstantin Schmäh and was strongly supported by his sister Elisabeth.
The first sea hare festival took place on Monday, July 25, 1949. Even then there was, for example, a children's pageant with over 4,000 school children and an amusement park.
The Seehas
The Seehas is the main character of the festival. He is usually portrayed by a local young man wearing a white rabbit fur costume with black spots. As the main character, he is obliged to be present or to participate in all important events of the festival.
The origin of the name Seehas cannot be clearly proven. It is only clear that it has nothing to do with the fish sea hare or with the sea snail Aplysia , which is also called sea hare . The inhabitants of Friedrichshafen and other places on Lake Constance are said to have been called sea hares in the past , and the Häflers still use that name today. The name Seehas also appears in the Seven Swabians . The interpretation that refers to the depiction of a jumping hare in a Roman standard, which was the symbol of a Roman legion in today's Constance, goes far back in history. The reference to the peasant leader Hase from Überlingen, who played a role in the peasant war, is somewhat more recent.
procedure
The sea hare festival lasts five days (Thursday to Monday).
It begins with the drumming and the subsequent beer tapping on Thursday afternoon. The opening evening takes place in the evening, when the pupils of a Friedrichshafen school perform a play every year. This is repeated on Friday and Sunday. Afterwards the mayor gives an opening speech and everyone sings the home song of the city of Friedrichshafen together.
On Friday mornings, sporting events for the schoolchildren take place on the premises of VfB Friedrichshafen , such as the sea hare football tournament or volleyball and basketball tournaments. The fanfare trains are also represented here.
On Saturday lunchtime, the sea hare will be hauled in by ship. Then the sea dog distributes the Hasenklee, a cloth bag with games and sweets, to the first graders from Friedrichshafen, who are already waiting expectantly on the town hall square. Crossbow shooting and ball throwing at the Zeppelin monument also begin at the same time. The jousting takes place on Saturday in the gondola harbor. On Saturday evening, the sea hare fireworks will be set off over the lake. A large number of people come to the promenade for this event.
On Sunday morning there will be an ecumenical service on the sound ship on the waterfront. Afterwards there will be a concert of fanfare trains on the meadow behind the Graf-Zeppelin-Haus. In the afternoon the pageant takes place, in which around 4,000 pupils from all Friedrichshafen schools take part. Here you can see the Seehas with the shooter king (in) and ball king (in) on a float.
Finally, on Monday morning there are sporting competitions such as duathlon and pedal boat races, but also the funny regatta , where the most imaginatively designed raft is awarded a prize. The sea hare festival ends on Monday evening when the sea hare is said goodbye.
Events
Drumming
The drumming, which has been carried out since 1984, is the first event of every sea hare festival. At the gondola port, the fanfare marches from Friedrichshafen, the minstrel march and the drummers of the citizen guard come together on Thursday to mark the beginning of the festival.
Crossbow shooting and ball throwing
The crossbow shooting for the boys took place at the first sea hare festival in 1949. Then as now, the participants try to shoot a golden egg out of the paw of a sea hare figure attached to a wooden board. The crossbow winner becomes the shooter king.
Ball throwing has been carried out since 1961 so that the girls also have a similar event. Here the girls have to try to hit a wooden board with a ball in a crown. The winner of this competition is called the prom queen.
Since 2000, boys have also been able to throw balls and girls have been able to shoot crossbows, with the latter being used more often.
Obtaining the sea hare
The sea hare has been hauled in by ship since 1950. Guests of honor, as well as numerous citizens of Friedrichshafen and the three fanfare trains with a total of three ships, go out onto the lake on Saturday. The sea hare appears on one of these ships, whereupon the ships drive back to the port and are greeted there with gun salutes from the civil guard. This ship is accompanied from the front by the so-called Seehasenachter of the Ruderverein Friedrichshafen (RVF). The Seehas then moves with the fanfare trains and the minstrel train to the Rathausplatz to distribute the Hasenklee, a small bag with sweets and toys, to the first graders. This tradition started in 1955.
pageant
The pageant has been taking place since 1949. Besides the many first-graders, which are run in small sea hare with rabbit ears, many students make of Friedrichshafen schools the motto of the respective Seehasenfestes. Other tell with covers passages from the city's history, such as the Wendelgardsage, the attack of the Swedes in the Thirty Years' War , the Construction of the zeppelins.
Jousting
The fishing joust has been held in the gondola harbor based on the Ulm model since 1953. Members of the Friedrichshafen Swimming Club and DLRG Friedrichshafen march in colorful costumes over the festival to the gondola harbor. This is where the pairings that were previously drawn meet. The aim of the competition is to push the opponent off the boat with an approx. 3 m long lance. Whoever leaves the podium, falls into the water or into the boat, who loses his lance or who receives two penalty points has lost. The hit area is the entire upper body. A winner is determined by the knockout system . The respective winner from Saturday or Sunday receives the fisherman's cup (challenge cup) on which his / her name is immortalized.
The jump-off is held every year on the sea hare Saturday at 4 p.m. and on the sea hare Sunday at 5 p.m.
Farewell to the sea hare
The farewell to the sea hare begins with the march of the fanfare marches, the marching band and the civil guard. After a few pieces of music the sea hare appears and gets on a boat belonging to the water police. There he is given a basket of carrots with a traditional poem. After a few words of thanks, the Seehas takes the boat out onto Lake Constance, accompanied by soaring, gas-filled balloons.
amusement park
The amusement park at the rear harbor, also known as the fairground, is open during the other events of the sea hare festival. For example, the Jupiter ferris wheel has been there for several years .
literature
- When the Seehas came out ISBN 3-86136-026-8
- Hurray - the Seehas is here! ISBN 978-3-86136-130-5
- A short journey through time with the Seehas (1949–2007) - a film by Werner Heine
- When the sea hare came - the sea hare festival 1949–1957 - a film by Werner Heine
