150 Years Volunteer Fire Brigade Buchdorf

Buchdorf on the Augsburg–Donauwörth Railway Line

Buchdorf is a municipality in the Donau-Ries district, located at the transition between the Swabian Jura and the Swabian Danube Valley. With around 1,600 inhabitants, it is manageable, and with three highly engaged districts (Baierfeld, Eggelstetten, and the main town Buchdorf), it is vibrant — club life is intense, and the Volunteer Fire Brigade Buchdorf e.V. is one of the oldest and most stable clubs. The brigade was founded in 1876, a time when hundreds of volunteer fire brigades emerged throughout Bavaria, often after devastating village fires against which the old water-sprayer guilds were powerless.

Request for Patronage in Bergstetten — The Traditional Kick-off

Bavarian brigade anniversaries don't start on the festival weekend itself, but months beforehand: with the request for patronage (Patenbitten). The celebrating brigade solemnly marches to a neighboring town to ask another brigade to take over the honorary patronage for the parade. On July 19th, 2025, this request for patronage took place in Bergstetten (part of Kaisheim) — with a music band, festival ladies, and a humorous negotiation phase where the Buchdorf members playfully presented their request to the Bergstetten comrades. Mayor Walter Grob (Buchdorf) and Mayor Martin Scharr (Kaisheim) were present, as were representatives of the Donau-Ries district fire inspection. The FFW Bergstetten accepted the patronage — the formal start for the festival year 2026.

Three Days of Program at the End of June

The actual festival weekend runs from Friday, June 26th, to Sunday, June 28th, 2026, on the festival grounds in Buchdorf. The schedule follows the classic pattern of Bavarian 150th brigade anniversaries: opening ceremony with beer tapping on Friday evening, formal reception with honors on Saturday evening, church service and grand parade on Sunday morning, and closing festivities on Sunday afternoon. Several dozen brigades from the entire Donau-Ries district and beyond are expected.

2026 — Festival Year in Donau-Ries

Buchdorf is not alone: in the Donau-Ries district, several brigades are celebrating their 150th anniversary in 2026, including Bollstadt (Harburg, May 1st-3rd), Aufhausen (Forheim), Enkingen (Nördlingen, July 2nd-5th), Hohenreichen, and Baldingen. The District Fire Brigade Association Donau-Ries maintains a festival calendar on its website (kfv-donau-ries.de) — a remarkable concentration, due to the wave of founding in the 1870s.

Buchdorf's Double Anniversary: 150 Years FFW & 300 Years Parish

In addition, Buchdorf is celebrating a second anniversary in 2026: the parish of St. Ulrich is celebrating its 300th anniversary. Both anniversaries will be celebrated jointly in the town — a double festival year intended to strengthen Buchdorf's identity and connect generations.