Burgau
Encyclopedia
Burgau is a town in the district of Günzburg
in Swabia
, Bavaria
. Burgau lies on the river Mindel
, and has a population of just under 10,000.
of Swabia
. The death of Conradin
and the resulting extinction of the Hohenstaufen
line in 1268 led to collapse of the integrity of the duchy and its division into reichsfrei lands, after local nobles resisted Emperor Rudolph of Habsburg's attempts to annex the duchy. The Lords of Burgau are first found in documentary mention in 1147, as . Burgau was raised to a margraviate in 1212.
With the death of margrave Henry III in 1301, the margravial line fell extinct and the Empire
claimed the fief. Albert I of Germany
transferred the feudal rights
to his two sons, acquiring the territory for the Habsburg
s, with Henry III's widow purchasing the allodial rights
. Four different titles
were awarded: that of allodial rights, Imperial feudal rights , manorial rights
and guardianship ' onMouseout='HidePop("13564")' href="/topics/Bailiwick">bailiwick
when used as a title).
The location of the castle produced latent tensions with the Bavarian
Wittelsbach
s, who coveted the margraviate to round off their territories. Their attempted purchase of the territory in 1418 was resisted by the Imperial Cities
of Augsburg
and Ulm
, with the support of other Swabian Cities. Burgau came to rely on the support of the Imperial Cities, along with the Bishopric of Augsburg and the Fugger
lands to stem the Wittelsbach's acquisitive desires, particularly after they won the land west of the Lech
; see Swabian League
.
Throughout the 14th century, the Habsburgs were compelled to mortgage the marquisate or its parts; the last such mortgage being to the Bishopric, ending in 1559. Further Austria
fell to Emperor Ferdinand I
in 1522, passing to his second son Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
, on his death.
In the German Peasants' War
in 1525, Burgau supported the against Ulm, but were defeated by the Swabian League
. The city suffered badly under both the Thirty Years' War
and the War of the Spanish succession
.
Ferdinand II's successor, his nephew Emperor Rudolph II
, entrusted the margraviate to Charles of Burgau, Ferdinand II's second son by his morganatic wife Philippine Welser
, daughter of an Augsburg burgher. Charles was the last holder of the marquisate, from 1609–18; on his death, the land returned to the senior Austrian Habsburg line. When that archducal line expired, with the death of Sigismund Francis
, the Viennese
court gained responsibility for the marquisate.
In 1805, by the Peace of Pressburg, Napoléon forced a defeated Emperor Francis II
to cede Further Austria
to French allies on his abdication and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, with Burgau passing to the kingdom of Bavaria
.
In September 1853, the Ulm–Augsburg railway was built as part of the Bavarian Maximilian's Railway (Bayerische Maximiliansbahn) through Burgau, with the station officially opening on 1 May 1854. Bavarian administrative reforms in 1862 established a court, a notary and a tax office; the following year, a large fire resulted in the creation of a volunteer fire service.
Towards the end of World War II
, two subcamps of Dachau concentration camp — one for men, one for women — were established in Burgau. More than 1000 prisoners, including 500 Jewish women and girls from Poland
and Hungary
, were transported form Dachau, Bergen-Belsen
and Ravensbrück
. They forced to work in miserable conditions in an aircraft hangar in Scheppach Forest
; 18 died and were buried in the Jewish cemetery
in Ichenhausen
. After the war, some 1600 Heimatvertriebene
were resettled in Burgau.
Bavarian regional reforms in 1978 merged the previously-independent municipalities of Oberknöringen, Unterknöringen, Großanhausen, Kleinanhausen and Limbach into Burgau.
)
Burgau also has two partnerships with other towns:
Burgau
, Styria, Austria
— officially twinned
since 1982, but informal partnerships for a decade before that.
Knöringen
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
— informal partnerships, particularly with the municipalities of Ober- and Unterknöringen.
In 1997, the city celebrated the 850-year anniversary of its first documentary mention in a complex Historischen Fest. In a slightly reduced form, further festivities were celebrated in 2001 and 2005 for the 700th anniversary of joining Further Austria
and the 200th anniversary of joining Bavaria
, respectively. The next Historic Festival is scheduled for July 2009.
Since the Thirty Years' War, there had been an annual custom of the (literally: feeding children bread); this custom was revived by Albert Vogele in the 1950s. Now on Rosenmontag
, disguised as a town soldier, his son Drummer Albert leads the children out of their schools and through the streets with his drum. The children call out traditional carnival sayings in front of the shops, demanding the shopkeepers distribute presents. This is the start of a day-long street carnival, which attracts thousands of spectators annually.
Günzburg (district)
Günzburg is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Dillingen, Augsburg, Unterallgäu and Neu-Ulm, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg ....
in Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
, 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...
. Burgau lies on the river Mindel
Mindel
The Mindel is a river in Bavaria, southern Germany. The Mindel originates west of Kaufbeuren, in the Allgäu region, and flows generally north. It flows into the Danube in Gundremmingen, east of Günzburg. The towns Mindelheim, Burgau and Thannhausen lie along the Mindel.The Mindel gave its name to...
, and has a population of just under 10,000.
History
The territory around Burgau was originally part of the stem duchyStem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
of Swabia
Duchy of Swabia
Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany.-History:...
. The death of Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
and the resulting extinction of the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
line in 1268 led to collapse of the integrity of the duchy and its division into reichsfrei lands, after local nobles resisted Emperor Rudolph of Habsburg's attempts to annex the duchy. The Lords of Burgau are first found in documentary mention in 1147, as . Burgau was raised to a margraviate in 1212.
With the death of margrave Henry III in 1301, the margravial line fell extinct and the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
claimed the fief. Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
transferred the feudal rights
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
to his two sons, acquiring the territory for the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s, with Henry III's widow purchasing the allodial rights
Allodial title
Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property that is independent of any superior landlord, but it should not be confused with anarchy as the owner of allodial land is not independent of his sovereign...
. Four different titles
Title (property)
Title is a legal term for a bundle of rights in a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or an equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different parties. It may also refer to a formal document that serves as evidence of ownership...
were awarded: that of allodial rights, Imperial feudal rights , manorial rights
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
and guardianship ' onMouseout='HidePop("13564")' href="/topics/Bailiwick">bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
when used as a title).
The location of the castle produced latent tensions with the Bavarian
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
s, who coveted the margraviate to round off their territories. Their attempted purchase of the territory in 1418 was resisted by the Imperial Cities
Imperial City
-Places:* Imperial City, Beijing, the central section of Beijing* Imperial City , a walled fortress and palace in the former capital of Vietnam.* Free imperial city, city formally responsible only to the emperor in the Holy Roman Empire,....
of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
and Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, with the support of other Swabian Cities. Burgau came to rely on the support of the Imperial Cities, along with the Bishopric of Augsburg and the Fugger
Fugger
The Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists like the Welser and the Höchstetter families. This banking family replaced the de'...
lands to stem the Wittelsbach's acquisitive desires, particularly after they won the land west of the Lech
Lech River
The Lech is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube in length with a drainage basin of .Its source is located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, where the river rises from lake Formarinsee in the Alps at an altitude of...
; see Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
.
Throughout the 14th century, the Habsburgs were compelled to mortgage the marquisate or its parts; the last such mortgage being to the Bishopric, ending in 1559. Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
fell to Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
in 1522, passing to his second son Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
, on his death.
In the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
in 1525, Burgau supported the against Ulm, but were defeated by the Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
. The city suffered badly under both the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and the War of the Spanish succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
.
Ferdinand II's successor, his nephew Emperor Rudolph II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
, entrusted the margraviate to Charles of Burgau, Ferdinand II's second son by his morganatic wife Philippine Welser
Philippine Welser
Philippine Welser was the morganatic wife of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria. Her family, the Welsers of Augsburg, were merchants and financiers of European significance and great wealth.-Works:* De re coquinaria , handwriting ca. 1545, Castle Ambras near Innsbruck. Inv.No...
, daughter of an Augsburg burgher. Charles was the last holder of the marquisate, from 1609–18; on his death, the land returned to the senior Austrian Habsburg line. When that archducal line expired, with the death of Sigismund Francis
Archduke Sigismund Francis of Austria
Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Further Austria was the ruler of Further Austria including Tyrol from 1662 to 1665.-Biography:...
, the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
court gained responsibility for the marquisate.
In 1805, by the Peace of Pressburg, Napoléon forced a defeated Emperor Francis II
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
to cede Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
to French allies on his abdication and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, with Burgau passing to the kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
.
In September 1853, the Ulm–Augsburg railway was built as part of the Bavarian Maximilian's Railway (Bayerische Maximiliansbahn) through Burgau, with the station officially opening on 1 May 1854. Bavarian administrative reforms in 1862 established a court, a notary and a tax office; the following year, a large fire resulted in the creation of a volunteer fire service.
Towards the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, two subcamps of Dachau concentration camp — one for men, one for women — were established in Burgau. More than 1000 prisoners, including 500 Jewish women and girls from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, were transported form Dachau, Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
and Ravensbrück
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
. They forced to work in miserable conditions in an aircraft hangar in Scheppach Forest
Jettingen-Scheppach
Jettingen-Scheppach is a market community in the Günzburg Landkreis in the Schwaben Regierungsbezirk in Bavaria. It lies between Ulm and Augsburg. Its population as of 1 December 2005 was 7,044.- Community council :...
; 18 died and were buried in the Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
in Ichenhausen
Ichenhausen
Ichenhausen is a town in the district of Günzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Günz, 9 km south of Günzburg....
. After the war, some 1600 Heimatvertriebene
Heimatvertriebene
Heimatvertriebene are those around 12 million ethnic Germans who fled or were expelled after World War II from parts of Germany annexed by Poland and Russia, and from other countries, who found refuge in both West and East Germany, and Austria...
were resettled in Burgau.
Bavarian regional reforms in 1978 merged the previously-independent municipalities of Oberknöringen, Unterknöringen, Großanhausen, Kleinanhausen and Limbach into Burgau.
Politics
The city council has 20 members, currently distributed as below. Since 2002, the mayor has been Konrad Barm (Free VotersFree Voters
Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the...
)
| Sitzverteilung bei der Kommunalwahl | 2002 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Free Voters Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
7 | 5 | |
| Christian Social Union Christian Social Union of Bavaria The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany... |
6 | 5 | |
| Christian Voters' Community | 3 | 3 | |
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
3 | 3 | |
| Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party (Germany) The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government... and Free Bürger |
1 | 2 | |
| Active Bürger of Burgau | – | 2 |
Burgau also has two partnerships with other towns:
BurgauBurgau, Austria
Burgau is a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeld in Styria, Austria....
, Styria, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
— officially twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
since 1982, but informal partnerships for a decade before that.
KnöringenKnöringen
Knöringen is a municipality in Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, 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...
— informal partnerships, particularly with the municipalities of Ober- and Unterknöringen.
Attractions and culture
Attractions in Burgau include:- the only remaining town gate, the Blockhausturm, built in 1614
- a fountain in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a figure designed by Franz Schäfferle in 1696 designed, 1731
- the chapel of St LeonardLeonard of NoblacLeonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
, built in 1667 with a BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
façadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face".... - the town parish church, built between 1788 and 1791
- the castle, high above the Mindeltal
- the former CapuchinOrder of Friars Minor CapuchinThe Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
monastery. In its apseApseIn architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
there was Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's Madonna of the CarnationMadonna of the CarnationThe Madonna of the Carnation, a.k.a. Madonna with vase or Madonna with child, is an oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci created around 1478-1480 . It is permanently displayed at the Alte Pinakothek gallery in Munich, Germany since 1889 after it was in private ownership.The central motif is young...
, now in Munich's Alte PinakothekAlte PinakothekThe Alte Pinakothek is an art museum situated in the Kunstareal in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings... - the oldest domestic house in Burgau, which dates from the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
In 1997, the city celebrated the 850-year anniversary of its first documentary mention in a complex Historischen Fest. In a slightly reduced form, further festivities were celebrated in 2001 and 2005 for the 700th anniversary of joining Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
and the 200th anniversary of joining 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...
, respectively. The next Historic Festival is scheduled for July 2009.
Since the Thirty Years' War, there had been an annual custom of the (literally: feeding children bread); this custom was revived by Albert Vogele in the 1950s. Now on Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag is the highlight of the German "Karneval" , and is on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The "Mardi Gras," though celebrated on Tuesday, is a similar event...
, disguised as a town soldier, his son Drummer Albert leads the children out of their schools and through the streets with his drum. The children call out traditional carnival sayings in front of the shops, demanding the shopkeepers distribute presents. This is the start of a day-long street carnival, which attracts thousands of spectators annually.