Festwochenende 625 Years Schmogrow

625 Years Schmogrow — A Village in the Spreewald

The small village of Schmogrow in the Spreewald municipality of Schmogrow-Fehrow looks back on 625 years of documented history in 2026. First documented in 1401 (with retrospective evidence for the 1390s), Schmogrow is one of the many small places that have shaped the face of the Upper Spreewald over the centuries — and in the midst of which the Sorbian language, Sorbian traditional costumes, and Sorbian customs are still alive today. With the festival weekend on September 5th and 6th, 2026, the community will celebrate this anniversary on the sports facility and at the open-air stage in the village center.

Program — Two Days of Tradition and Family

The program is structured as a classic village anniversary: the festival grounds are open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on both days. Saturday begins with a festive ceremony in the morning (welcome by the mayor, cultural-historical lecture on the history of Schmogrow), followed by a festive parade in the early afternoon, in which the residents of Schmogrow participate in Sorbian traditional costumes. In the afternoon and evening, live bands will take over the open-air stage. Sunday is dedicated to family: a morning pint with brass music, a children's program with a bouncy castle and craft activities, and sports competitions between clubs.

Sorbian Costume and Customs

Schmogrow belongs to the Sorbian settlement area of Lower Lusatia — one of the oldest continuously inhabited ethnic minorities in Germany. While the Sorbian language (Sorbian/Wendish) is spoken by only older generations in many villages, the customs and costumes live on in festivals like this. During the anniversary parade, women from Schmogrow will parade through the village in the characteristic Sorbian band costume (red headscarves, white aprons, black skirts). Sorbian songs and dances will be performed on stage — a rare occasion for outsiders to experience this culture.

Culinary Delights and Atmosphere

Regional specialties will be served at the stalls around the sports field and the open-air stage: Spreewald gherkins, Wendish Plinse (yeast pancakes, a Sorbian specialty), smoked fish from the Spreewald canals, wild boar on a spit, accompanied by beer from the Spreewald private brewery in Lübbenau, mineral water from the Buchstein spring in Burg, and Spreewald schnapps from the surrounding distilleries. Free admission, food and drinks at usual festival prices.

Spreewald — UNESCO Biosphere and Waterways

Schmogrow is located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Spreewald, one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Central Europe. The Spree river divides into hundreds of small canals here, lined with thatched-roof houses, poplar avenues, and meadows. Those who combine the anniversary weekend with a stay in the Spreewald can glide through the canals by punt on Sunday, go on a bike tour along the waterways, or visit the nearby Branitz Castle of Prince Pückler-Muskau.