Bergkirchweih
Encyclopedia
The Bergkirchweih is an annual fair and beer festival
in Erlangen
, Germany
.
Locals nickname it Berch, which is the Franconian
pronunciation of the German word Berg, meaning mountain or hill.
The Bergkirchweih starts on the Thursday before Pentecost
at 5PM. The opening ceremony called "Anstich", which is carried out by the town's mayor, takes place in a different beer cellar every year. Thousands gather to watch the opening spectacle hoping to get one of the free beers from the first barrel.
Twelve days later the last beer barrel is buried in the cellar where the next Anstich will take place.
The Bergkirchweih area is located in the northern extremities of the town of Erlangen
and is roughly a kilometer long (0.6 mi).
It contains beer cellars, booths and rides - a huge Ferris wheel is the Berch's traditional landmark.
With its wooden benches under elms, chestnuts and oaks it is the biggest Open-Air-Biergarten of Europe with more than 11,000 seats.
The Bergkirchweih has taken place since 1755. Nowadays the time when the fair takes place is called the "fifth season". Roughly a million people - about ten times the town's population - visit the event, making the Bergkirchweih the third biggest fair in Bavaria
after the Oktoberfest
in Munich
and the Gäubodenvolksfest
in Straubing
.
Beer festival
A Beer Festival is an organised event during which a variety of beers are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are held in a number of countries...
in Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Locals nickname it Berch, which is the Franconian
Franconian languages
Franconian refers to a West Germanic dialect continuum spoken in the Rhineland, including Dutch at one end and all the transitional dialects between Dutch and standard German which do not fully participate in the High German consonant shift or German diphthongization of long vowels...
pronunciation of the German word Berg, meaning mountain or hill.
The Bergkirchweih starts on the Thursday before Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
at 5PM. The opening ceremony called "Anstich", which is carried out by the town's mayor, takes place in a different beer cellar every year. Thousands gather to watch the opening spectacle hoping to get one of the free beers from the first barrel.
Twelve days later the last beer barrel is buried in the cellar where the next Anstich will take place.
The Bergkirchweih area is located in the northern extremities of the town of Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
and is roughly a kilometer long (0.6 mi).
It contains beer cellars, booths and rides - a huge Ferris wheel is the Berch's traditional landmark.
With its wooden benches under elms, chestnuts and oaks it is the biggest Open-Air-Biergarten of Europe with more than 11,000 seats.
The Bergkirchweih has taken place since 1755. Nowadays the time when the fair takes place is called the "fifth season". Roughly a million people - about ten times the town's population - visit the event, making the Bergkirchweih the third biggest fair in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
after the Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and the Gäubodenvolksfest
Gäubodenvolksfest
The Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing is the second largest genuine folk festival in Bavaria, Germany, after the Munich Oktoberfest.- History :...
in Straubing
Straubing
Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held....
.
External links
- Bergkirchweih Erlangen | berch.info – official Website
- facebook.berch.info – official Facebook Fanpage
- Webcam from the Bergkirchweih – since 2009 the only webcam with live images and archive
- Twitterwall Bergkirchweih - latest tweets about the Bergkirchweih