2023-07-20 12:33:00
Landshut wedding (Landshuter Hochzeit) is one of the most famous historical holidays in Germany dedicated to the Middle Ages. The traditional festival is held in the Bavarian Landshut once every four years and lasts almost a month. The program includes several colorful processions, a knightly tournament and horse games, theatrical performances, a fencing school and many other events.
The Landshut wedding is considered the largest historical reconstruction in Europe. In 2023, another holiday postponed due to the pandemic, the 2021 festival began on June 30 and ends on July 23. Costumed processions in Landshut gather tens of thousands of spectators, the main one – up to a hundred thousand people. The total number of visitors to the city in four weeks reaches half a million guests.
Landshut wedding – 2023. Photo gallery
Emperor and other guests
The historical festival is dedicated to the marriage of one of the most important representatives of the Wittelsbach dynasty, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut George the Rich (Georg der Reiche), and Hedwig Jagiellonica, daughter of the Polish King Casimir IV Jagiello. The conclusion of this family union in 1475 was of great political importance for Europe during the Late Middle Ages – it made it possible to form an alliance against the then strengthened Ottoman Empire.
A stopover at Landshut on the way to Vienna from Cologne was made by Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III. In terms of the number of guests, among whom, among other noble persons, were numerous relatives of the young duke from Baden, Württemberg and the Palatinate, this wedding far exceeded other such big events in Europe at that time – it is considered the most magnificent such holiday of the Late Middle Ages.
Duke Georg the RichPhoto: Eventpress Herrmann/picture alliance
During the week in Landshut, more than 20 thousand guests were received at the expense of the groom – they settled, fed, watered, and also took care of the horses on which they arrived. The retinue of the emperor alone consisted of six hundred people. Frederick III during the wedding feast led the bride to the first dance …
Luxurious celebrations are described in sufficient detail in the chronicles, including information about the eaten bulls (323), pigs (285), sheep (1133), lambs (1537), calves (490), geese (11,500) and chickens (40,000).
By order of the duke, the owners of taverns, pubs and taverns were forbidden to sell food and drinks to guests. The supply was carried out free of charge through the ducal kitchen. In the houses where distinguished guests lived, almost one and a half hundred personal chefs paid by the groom worked.
City festival in Landshut
The first Landshut wedding took place in 1903. Then only 150 people in medieval costumes participated in the main procession. Now, during this massive open-air performance, about 2,400,000 amateur actors are walking around the city, moving on horseback, on carts or carriages – exclusively from among local residents. The city society, which organizes the holiday, consists of about eight thousand people.
Jadwiga JagiellonkaPhoto: Piblic Domain
In preparation, great attention is paid to appearance – for example, hairstyles should correspond to the traditions of the era, costumes should look as authentic as possible, all details should correspond to historical originals, and so on. A special honor is the right to play the role of the bride and groom.
“Living Legacy”
In 2018, the National Commission of UNESCO contributed the historical documentary performance “The Landshut Wedding of 1475” (www.landshuter-hochzeit.de) on the German Intangible Cultural Heritage List. During the festival in 2023, the organizers announced their plans to apply for international status for the holiday – inclusion in the UNESCO program for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind.
According to the Bavarian broadcaster BR24, Landshut representatives are currently negotiating or preparing with the organizers of other such holidays in Germany and Europe to discuss the possibility of preparing and submitting a joint application, which may increase the chances of success.
To date, this international list includes seven traditions, customs and crafts from Germany or by joint applications with German participation. Among them are workshops for the restoration of Gothic cathedrals, the tradition of building organs, falconry and timber rafting.
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