Craftsmen and Threshing Day Schloss Schleinitz

Living Harvest Tradition in the Lommatzscher Pflege

The Lommatzscher Pflege is one of Saxony's most fertile agricultural landscapes — gently rolling hills, heavy loess soils, intensively farmed since the Middle Ages. Schloss Schleinitz, a Renaissance ensemble with a castle pond, is located in this setting and has been maintained and programmed with cultural events by the Förderverein Schloss Schleinitz e.V. for decades. The annual Craftsmen and Threshing Day on the first weekend of September is one of its most prominent program elements — a festival known in the region for its historical authenticity and family-friendliness.

Historical Threshing Demonstrations — Flails and Old Machines

The focus is on historical threshing demonstrations: first with the classic flail — a tool used for centuries to thresh grain manually before mechanization arrived — followed by demonstrations with old threshing machines from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Harvest workers in historical costumes explain the work steps: binding sheaves, storage, threshing, winnowing the chaff, filling sacks. For many visitors, it is their first encounter with the original tools their ancestors used daily.

Craft Demonstrations All Around

Parallel to the threshing demonstrations, washerwomen show how laundry was done before the invention of the washing machine at a historical wash trough, feather pluckers process down and feathers for pillows and bedding, blacksmiths forge tools at the smithy's fire, rope makers twist ropes from hemp and sisal, and carpenters demonstrate historical wood joints. A craftsmen's market with regional products complements the offerings. For children, there is a dedicated experience corner with hands-on activities — straw jumping, trying feather plucking, and baking bread over a campfire.

Lommatzscher Pflege — A Saxon Special Region

The Lommatzscher Pflege extends east of the Mulde-Elbe confluence between Meißen, Riesa, and Großenhain. Once an important granary for Saxony in the Middle Ages, the landscape today is characterized by dense village scenery, castles, manor houses, and a strong focus on tourism related to hiking, cycling, and rural cultural heritage. Schloss Schleinitz is one of its cultural highlights — those who visit the threshing festival can ideally combine the day with a bike tour through the surrounding villages.