82. Lechgau-Trachtenfest in Stoffen und 53.Huosigau-Heimattage in Peissenberg

The 82. Lechgau-Trachtenfest, including the rededication of the Vereinsfahne of the host Verein D'Fuchsbergler, was held in Stoffen on July 11, 2004. The 53. Huosigau-Heimattage were celebrated on July 18, 2004 in Peissenberg. In 2002, Enzian Schuhplattler, Seattle participated in the 80. Lechgau-Trachtenfest in Seestall and the 112. Gaufest des Gauverbandes I in Altötting. We had such a fantastic experience that we planned a similar trip for July 2004.

The Gaufeste in Bayern are listed on the Bayerischer Trachtenverband Web site: www.trachtenverband-bayern.de

In 2002, we began a friendship with D'Windachtaler Trachtenverein in Hofstetten, visited their Plattlerprobe, and went with them to the Lechgau-Trachtenfest in Seestall. Our host, Sepp Probst, the 1. Vorstand of D'Windachtaler and Landesjugendvorsitzender of the Bayerische Trachtenverband, was very helpful and made our visit even more wonderful by arranging homestays and taking us to Andechs monestary; Landsberg; a local family owned dairy farm; and on a visit to a Schreiner's workshop.

This year, our trip began July 4, 2004 at a Schnalzer Treffen in the Festzelt (tent) in Stoffen. There were six Schnalzergruppen from Stoffen, Peiting, Böbing, Töging, and Ohlstadt. The groups took turns snapping the whips to music while standing on the table tops in a way that the onlookers were surrounded by the sound! What a Krach it was! A different kind of 4th of July fireworks!

We also spent one night in Munich to have a chance for shopping and a visit to Annamirl Raab, Isargau Trachtenwartin and daughter of Hans Zapf. She gave us a fascinating demonstration of how she makes steif Mieder and answered many of our Tracht questions.

We made sure we were in Hofstetten for the Plattlerprobe. The next day we visited the Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten with Sepp Probst and all wore Dirndl or Lederhosen, which went well with the setting and made some great photos. The museum is a village made up of 300-400 year old Bavarian farmhouses and working water mills. We even got a round of applause from a group of Kindergartners who were there with their teacher—they thought we were a parade! In one farm house we met a Schreiner (cabinetmaker) at work, which was great because Richard, one of our Trachtler, is also a Schreiner in Seattle. In another farmhouse, the Topferei, we saw a potter at work. In the Kramerladen (general store) we bought Holzofenbrot, Bier, Apfelstrudel, and coffee and sat outside in the shade to enjoy the view. The Freilichtmuseum Glentleiten is definitely worth a visit!

Sepp arranged for us to have a tour of an electric power plant built by Hitler on the Lech River and a visit to a wild animal park in Landsberg. One evening, we drove to Kaltenberg for the Ritterturnier, a medieval festival at the Kaltenberg castle and brewery, which they say is the largest in the world. There were many handworkers, a long parade with jesters, Gaukler, Feuerspucker (fire eaters), falcon and owl trainers, hundreds of knights, village people, and musicians. The Knights tournament took place in the arena as part of a two hour spectacular drama about the king and his daughter. Definately worth a visit if you're in Bavaria in the summer.

July 10, we went back to Stoffen for the Gauheimatabend. Otto Dufter, 1. Vorsitzender der Bayerischer Trachtenverband, gave a very inspiring opening talk. We were invited to do an Ehrentanz both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, so we wore our Festtracht both days. Sunday morning, the Festgottesdienst was in the tent due to the rainy weather, but we had luck in the afternoon. It stopped raining long enough for the Trachtenumzug to wind through the town of Stoffen, out along the farm fields and back in to the tent...only the last few groups got wet when the rain returned. There were 3,000 participants, including 40 Vereinsfahne in the very colorful Trachten parade! It was a wonderful experience to participate in the Trachtenumzug, to dance an Ehrentanz, and to watch many Ehrentänze.

Anton Auer, 1. Vorstand of D'Fuchsbergler made us feel very welcome and presented us with a Bavarian crest as a remembrance of the Gaufest. Franz Multerer, 1. Gauvorplattler of the Lechgau introduced each Verein that danced an Ehrentanz and at one point he mentioned how the Trachtler from Gau Nordamerika had participated in the Bayerische Löwe Preisplattler in Ingolstadt in October 2003 and had done very well.

We were sad to leave Hofstetten, as we also were in 2002, but we plan to return in 2006 and we hope that D'Windachtaler may some day visit our Gaufest in the USA. On our way out of town Sepp gave us a tour of the brand new volunteer Feurwehr house where they have a new pump fire truck and 125 volunteers. Hofstetten is 920 years old!

In the week between Gaufeste in 2002, we spent time in Mittenwald where they were holding the Bozener Markt, a 700 year old medievel fair that happens only every five years, and then in Königsee before traveling on to Altötting. In 2004, we spent time in the Zillertal, Tirol in between Gaufeste. From our pension in Stumm, we made day trips to Innsbruck, Wattens Swarovski, and the smallest city in Austria—Rattenberg. In a music store in Uderns we found a wooden Teufelsgeige (Bumbass), which we bought as a souvenir for our Verein to use at events. The only problem was how to get it home.

We had been getting email from a Schuhplattler group in Südtirol and after several phone calls from Stumm it was arranged that half of our group would drive to Italy to visit them, since only one of our rental cars was allowed into Italy. By the time our group arrived in Vilnös the entire town had turned out as well as the Schuhplattler group from the next town and the ORF Austrian television crew. The dancing and some interviews were broadcast a few days later on television! What an experience in a gorgeous mountain town! The rest of us who didn't go to Italy spent the sunny day driving up the Hohenstrasse in the Zillertal. A single lane toll road with cows in the way here and there and breathtaking views back down into the green valley! We stopped halfway at the Almstüberl Zellberg Buam in Zellberg for a typical Zillertal meal and a glass of buttermilk from the cows right outside the door! Out waiter brought us our food, then picked up his button accordion and played and sang with his son while we ate! What a day!!

There was much more to see in do in Zillertal, but we had to save that for another trip because it was time to travel to Peissenberg for our second Gaufest on July 18.

Peissenberg was a coal mining town until the mine closed in 1971. Die Peissenberger were the hosts for the 53. Huosigau-Heimattage 2004. 27 Vereine from the Trachtenvereinigung Huosigau took part as well as guests from America (Enzian Seattle), France, Tirol, and the Allgäuer Gau and Oberländer Gau. Friday night was the Heimatabend in the fest tent. Hans Menzinger was the moderator and before many of the dances he gave its history and origin. It was a very informative as well as entertaining evening. We wore Dirndl and Lederhosen since the atmosphere was more relaxed. We enjoyed the beer and the Ehrentänze and met many new and old friends.

Hans Menzinger, 2. Gauvorstand of the Huosigau, and his wife Ingrid, helped us arrange our visit to the Gaufest. We sat near our friends from their Verein, D'Würmtaler Obermenzing, in the tent and walked behind them in the parade. Sepp Kaindl, 1. Gauvorstand of the Huosigau also made us very welcome!! Theo Tafertshofer, 1. Vorstand Die Peissenberger presented us with a brass miner's lantern as a remembrance of our visit to the 53. Huosigau-Heimattage 2004.

We were also joined by our friend Gaby Hauptman from the Loisachgau, who has been to our Gaufest in the U.S. Again, we watched many fantastic Ehrentänze, one of which was a Knappentanz by the Peissenberg Bergknappen Verein. It was quite different from Knappentänze that we have seen here and was narrated by one of the miners. We met some men who had actually worked in the mines of Peissenberg. Peissenberg also has a Schäffler group. The coopers or barrelmakers wore their colorful Tracht and hats with a blue and a white plume feather, but they did not dance because they dance only every seven years. We were invited to drink a Knappen Schnapps with our new friends. They were amazed to meet Trachtler from America who wore such "sauber" Tracht and made an effort to learn about Brauchtum and Tradition.

Sunday morning, we lined up for the Kirchenumzug which went through green fields to the Knappen Kapelle up on a hill with a view of the Alps. It was a beautiful mass with Böller (handheld cannon) shots during the communion. Back in the tent lunch was served from huge double decker trays carried around by two strong Buam! Refreshed by a Mass Bier und a Grill Hendl we lined up for the afternoon Trachtenumzug. By this time, the weather had turned quite hot, and another Mass Bier was very welcome at the end of the parade. A nice addition to the Gaufest were about a dozen booths selling Tracht, Trachten jewelry, baskets, wood carvings, etc.

Then it was time to go back to our hotel and try to fit two weeks worth of Trachten shopping and other souvenirs into our suitcases. The next morning we said Pfirti Gott to Peissenberg and headed for the Munich airport for our flight home.

We are already planning our next trip for 2006. If anyone is thinking about attending a Gaufest in Bavaria....go! You will have a trip of a lifetime!

To Sepp Probst, our host in Hofstetten, and Hans and Ingrid Menzinger our hosts in Peissenberg we say "Vergelt's Gott" for your kind assistance and thank you for your friendship!