Urfahraner market

The Urfahraner market in May 2006

Fireworks on May 7, 2015

The Urfahraner Markt is a semi- annual fair in the Urfahr district of the Upper Austrian capital Linz . The spring and autumn market has existed since 1817, when Emperor Franz I approved the holding of two markets per year. The emperor's decree read: “In 1817, on March 20, Franz the First, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria ... granted the most submissive local community of Ufer Linz the right to hold annual markets twice throughout the year, each lasting two days According to the Linz market regulations , the Urfahraner market takes place “as a rule nine days in spring from the last Saturday in April and in autumn from the last Saturday in September”. Originally the market was intended exclusively for the trade in goods of all kinds, especially consumer goods and agricultural implements. At the end of the 19th century, amusements such as shooting galleries or ship swings were also added. The previous visitor record is a total of 650,000 in the spring of 2000.

A mixture of amusement facilities (such as the Autodrom or Ferris wheel ), confectionery and other sales stands, as well as several festival tents give the Urfahraner market an unmistakable flair. Various music groups (formerly the legendary Linzer Buam ) perform in the tents and political events take place - such as the opening ceremonies of the Linz city politicians or the traditional FPÖ rally on May 1st. The local economy is presented in six exhibition halls and in the extensive outdoor area, with the furniture exhibition taking up the largest space. In addition to three festival tents with their alternating music program and culinary delights, many food stalls also offer various delicacies. The traditional large fireworks display also attracts many residents to the Urfahr Danube Lands, where the fair has only been held since 1902.

Originally the Urfahraner market took place on Linz's Steinmetzplatzl (Urfahraner Danube bank at the height of today's Römerberg tunnel), later at the location of today's Bernaschekplatz .

Urfahr was incorporated into Linz in 1919 - at the time of incorporation, the market was on the verge of being closed, but after protests a market study commission was founded, which decided to reintroduce this market two years later. The city had to undertake to "maintain and promote the market for all time" - which has happened so far.

There were separate show halls with magicians and fortune tellers during the interwar period, while in the period of the Second World War and in the period afterwards until the withdrawal of the occupying powers (and the easy access to Urfahr without passport control from Linz), the market was quiet , which has meanwhile developed into an event known far beyond the borders of the state.

The market is colloquially also called "Urfahr-Markt" or "Urfix" in young people.

literature

Andrea Bina, Georg Thiel: Urfahraner market. 200 years of Linz merrymaking. NORDICO Stadtmuseum Linz (ed.), Verlag Anton Pustet, 2017. ISBN 978-3-7025-0859-3