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GTV Almrausch attends the Gauverband I Gaufest
On Monday July 17th, the morning after Gauverband I Gaufest, the Mülhdorfer Anzeiger printed an article entitled “Eine Trachtengruppe aus den USA besucht das Gautrachtenfest,” that said “Optisch ist der Gebirgstrachtenverein Almrausch ohnehin nicht zu unterscheiden von all den anderen Trachtlern, die gestern zu Bayerns größtem Trachtenfest in der Innstadt weilten.” We were thrilled that our Tracht blended in seamlessly with the 118 other Gebirgstrachtenvereine at the Gaufest on Sunday July 16th. The Trachtenverein Enzian planned for two years and hosted the 116th Gaufest in their small hometown of Töging am Inn. Twelve of us from GTV Almrausch arrived on Friday evening for the Fest opening and attended the Gauheimatabend on Saturday. On Sunday we marched in a position of honor in full Festracht in an enormous parade featuring horse drawn carriages and over 8000 Trachtlers from all over lower Bavaria. We also attended the Festgottesdienst and spent a Gemütlich Sunday afternoon in the Festzelt enjoying live music and Ehrentänze. The 525 foot long tent (225 feet longer than a football field) was packed full with all of the Trachtlers after the parade. We received the royal treatment and had a great view of all the events from a table up front near the stage. Throughout the weekend, local dancers, politicians, clergy and citizens came up to heartily welcome us to Bavaria.
About a year ago Vortänzerin Karin Schwab and myself talked about our common desire to attend a Gauverband I Gaufest in order to experience the authentic Brauchtum that GTV Almrausch has worked hard to preserve over the past 81 years in Philadelphia. I contacted Trachtenverein Enzian and received a very warm invitation to attend the 2006 Gaufest. By December, four of our families committed to attend. They left the United States at different times and traveled to the small town of Töging am Inn from points as far away as Bremerhaven, Bitburg, and Austria. This allowed us to opportunity to build our own itineraries, visit relatives in Germany, attend other festivals in Austria, and see the wonderful sites Germany and Austria has to offer.
We then met at the Festzelt on Friday afternoon and proceeded to housing thoughtfully arranged by the host Verein. The Schwab family (Karin, John and twins Stefanie and Kristen) stayed with a local family and the rest of us were lucky enough to get the only hotel beds in town at a family-operated pension located on a nearby farm. That evening we all enjoyed the opening of the fest with members of Enzian Töging and happily accepted free beer from the keg-tapping ceremony. As a thank-you gift for the generous invitation and kindness, I presented the Töging club with a Liberty Bell trophy and a copy of the Chronik des Gauverbandes Nordamerika. Töging officers presented an official, hand-blown glass Enzian 116th Gaufest Trophy. Our Bavarian hosts made us feel like celebrities. The Bürgermeister even introduced us to the assembled crowd and two local papers interviewed various club members. Host families were surprised and pleased to see their American guests’ pictures in the paper on Saturday and Monday.
We agreed that the most memorable part of the event was the Gemütlichkeit and kindness we felt meeting so many new Trachtenfreunde from Töging. After a long night of festivities and numerous Maß beers, Enzian members Roman, Claus, and Werner took some of us to visit Burghausen, home of the longest castle in Europe. We also took side trips to Pope Benedict’s birthplace in Marktl and Altötting, the home of the Black Madonna that is considered the holiest place in Germany. That evening, we attended the Gauheimatabend and enjoyed authentic Bavarian music. Of course, the highlight for us was the spectacular dancing. The women spun so fast their skirts went out like plates and the Plattlers were crisp, clean, and completely synchronized. It was also good for us to see familiar dances and realize that what we do in Philadelphia and in North America is truly echt.
The big day for the Gaufest was Sunday. The day started at 8AM with Frühschoppen. At 9:00, 8000 people lined up for the highly organized march over to the Wiesenkirche for Mass. It was an absolutely beautiful morning with the sun shining through the legendary blau-weiß Bayern Himmel. After Mass, Trachtlers split in half, marched off in two directions, and paraded throughout the town under the smiling gaze of several thousand people watching from the streets and balconies. The two parade halves also passed each other so that Trachtlers had a chance to see each other as well. At the massive Festzelt participants later enjoyed a delicious lunch, Maßbiere, music and more dancing. The Fest ended around 4:00PM. After saying goodbye to our Gaufest hosts, we enjoyed a farewell dinner at a Lokal with our host families. According to Philadelphian Don Schwab, “We were all exhausted but truly amazed by all of the friendly people we met, everything we learned, and the authentic Brauchtum that we experienced in this small Bavarian town.” We are looking forward to the opportunity to have members of the Trachtenverein Enzian visit us in Philadelphia. It also reminds us to treat all of the German clubs at our fests with the special kindness and respect that they extended to us.