Let´s join the medieval festival in Bonstetten in Swabia

Sunday, 02 October 2022 10:44
Written by Portal Editor

From the local daily newspaper we had read about the beginning of the medieval festival in the village of Bonstetten, which took place on the occasion of the 950th anniversary of the village from August 1st. until 11th. invites you to visit with a colorful supporting programme.

We use Saturday evening to visit the medieval festival together with Lydia and Georg.

Agriculture is the main trade in Bonstetten

Coming from Augsburg, Bonstetten is about 20 kilometers north-west on the southern slope of the Stauffersberg in the Lugnatal. The extensive forests of the Augsburg Nature Park, also known as "Western Forests", enclose the village of Bonstetten, which was first mentioned in documents in 1063. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Benedictine monastery of St. Ulrich and Afra and the Cistercian monastery of Oberschönenfeld had a great influence on the population, who mainly lived from agriculture, as landlords. This influence can be maintained until the secularization in 1803. This is also reflected in today's coat of arms with the two golden cloverleaf crosses (St. Ulrich and Afra) and the white-red diagonal bar (Oberschönenfeld). Even today, agriculture is the main trade in Bonstetten, which is now proudly presented in a medieval festival in which the whole town is involved.

A sick beggar we meet several times

Upon arrival, we find Bonstetten already closed at the entrance roads by the local fire brigade, we are directed to a large meadow area, which is used as a parking area at the time of the festival. A kind of entrance fee is then charged at the entrance to the village, and a real wood amulet with the imprint "950 years of Bonstetten" serves as a receipt, which must be worn in the village.

Immediately on the right of the path is the first camp of knights, who camp here waiting for their mission. Tents are set up, the glittering armor is reflected in the evening sun and the campfires are burning. You are immediately involved in the action. A charcoal burner is preparing for work, the wood to be burned is neatly arranged in a circle, a sick beggar we meet several times asks for a donation. Also, many visitors have dressed in medieval costumes, so that there are interesting encounters everywhere.

Celebrate 950 years of Bonstetten with us with historical food and drink

It is not for nothing that the motto of the Bonstetter applies here: "Celebrate 950 years of Bonstetten with us with historical food and drink - or Atzung and Refreshment, as our ancestors called it:

Daily fire shows, jugglers, minstrels (Zackenflanke/Trollfaust, etc.) and dance groups
Children's program
Hourly stage shows
many historical craftsmen (weavers, seagrass spinners, threshers, rope makers, charcoal burners...)
Camp Life/Swordfights
Lovingly decorated hospitality areas in old barns
Night watchman
Show brewery/ox roastery
tub/barber, and much more

Free Order of Knights of Mandechingen

Let yourself be fascinated by our historical parade on August 4th and the knight games on the 2nd weekend of the festival:

camp life:

Mercenary Knights of Nattenberg
Wolperdinger, Augsburg
Black Wolves
The Grünwald Knights
Free Order of Knights of Mandechingen

And in fact there are craftsmen everywhere who invite you to look at their work, jugglers roam the streets or simply residents strolling through the town in medieval costume. In between, the knight performances of the Wolperdinger, a historic troupe of knights from Augsburg, gastronomy in barns and courtyards with wonderful medieval furnishings. A cart with a wooden bath tub on it is pulled through the village with bathers, in short, there is something to discover everywhere.

Two offer scissor grinders their services for sale

In the inn, where we sit down to a horn of mead, two minstrels play medieval tunes on different instruments. They also use their cart as a stage to be seen better. A large harvest crown hangs in the barn and now and then the farmhands thresh the grain from the ears of corn, determining their own rhythm with singing.

The seaweed spinners weave the nearly dry seaweed into braids about 1 meter long, then hang it up for further drying process and then sell it to the traders who in turn supply the mattress makers who then insert the seaweed into the mattresses for the medieval beds. A little further on, two scissor grinders offer their services for sale. There is hustle and bustle everywhere, so it never gets boring.

So it's already pitch dark when we go back to the vehicle. A magnificent evening with many, partly previously unknown impressions of the Middle Ages allows us to follow up on what we have experienced for a while.

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