Crailsheimer Stadtfeiertag — Bürgerfest

A festival day that speaks of mourning and liberation

The Crailsheimer Stadtfeiertag is a festival day with historical depth. It commemorates February 11th, when American troops reached the heavily destroyed city in 1945, marking the end of the war for Crailsheim. The city in the district of Schwäbisch Hall lost more than two-thirds of its historical buildings in the bombings of February 1945. From the trauma of destruction grew the tradition of an annual commemoration and citizens' festival, which now spans several days and combines cultural programmes with historical remembrance.

Programme 2026 — six days of city celebration

The 2026 edition runs from Friday, February 6th to Wednesday, February 11th, 2026. February 6th opens with a party night in the historic Ratskeller: from 8:30 PM, the band Harmonic Highway will perform, admission €5. On February 7th, the actual Bürgerfest follows in the Event Airport Hangar from 6:00 PM, with an opening speech by Lord Mayor Dr. Christoph Grimmer at 7:00 PM. The 2026 theme: "Journey through Crailsheim" — on stage, comedian Monsieur Momo, cabaret artist Rolf Miller with his programme „Wenn nicht wann dann jetzt", the acrobatics group Tridiculous, and live music ensembles will perform. Admission: €17.

February 8th invites you to the Historical Evening with Crailsheim's city archivist Folker Förtsch, who will lecture on the history of Crailsheim tourism, accompanied by live music (admission €10). An ecumenical service in St. John's Church at 10:45 AM opens Sunday. The highlight of the festival is February 11th: from 7:15 PM, the parade of the Bürgerwache 1830 on the market square, the traditional honour salute, and the subsequent reception by the Lord Mayor.

The Horaffen — a sweet symbol

One of the most moving traditions of the Crailsheimer Stadtfeiertag is the distribution of Horaffen. These small, horn-shaped yeast pastries are distributed by the city on February 11th to schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, and social institutions. The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages and symbolises gratitude and community spirit. For many Crailsheim residents, the Horaffen pastry connects childhood memories with the history of their city — a sweet, very everyday form of collective memory.

The Bürgerwache 1830

The Bürgerwache 1830 is a historical tradition association that preserves the military heritage of the pre-industrial city watch. During their parade on the Stadtfeiertag, members wear historical uniforms, march with flags and drums across the market square, and perform the honour salute in front of the town hall. The sight — historical uniforms, torches, military discipline in a southern German city in February — is one of the powerful images of southern German festival culture and makes the Crailsheimer Stadtfeiertag a unique event.