150 Years of the Gräfenthal Fire Brigade — Fire Brigade Festival 2026

150 Years of Firefighting in Gräfenthal

In 1876, organized firefighting — a mandatory fire brigade supported by the town's male citizens — was established in the small South Thuringian town of Gräfenthal. In 1901, this evolved into the Volunteer Fire Brigade in its current form. Gräfenthal, located in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district of the state of Thuringia, is nestled in the hilly landscape of the Thuringian Slate Mountains. As a former glassmaking and porcelain town, it faced a high risk of fire early on, making the fire brigade indispensable from the very beginning.

Double Anniversary 2026

In 2026, the double anniversary coincides: 150 years since the establishment of the firefighting service and 125 years since the founding of the Gräfenthal Volunteer Fire Brigade. The FFW Gräfenthal is celebrating with a grand three-day festival at the Ringelteich festival grounds — a meadow on the edge of town overlooking the Ringelteich pond and the surrounding forests.

Program Highlights — ROSA, Allgäupower, Laser Show

The musical program is top-notch: On Friday evening, the band ROSA will perform their "40 Years" tour, featuring hits from four decades. On Saturday afternoon, Die Waldspitzbuben (traditional Bavarian folk music) will perform, and in the evening, Allgäupower will play on stage with a cocktail bar. The grand finale will be the RABAZZ drum show with a laser show. On Sunday, the brass band "Die Hiesigen" will play for the festival brunch.

Parade and Blue Light Mile

The highlight will be the grand parade through the town on Sunday afternoon, featuring fire engines from all over Thuringia, historic fire-fighting vehicles, music bands, and floats. Afterwards, the "Blue Light Mile" will open at the festival grounds — an exhibition of modern and historic emergency vehicles, allowing visitors to experience firefighting technology up close. For children, there will be a carousel, bungee trampoline, shooting gallery, and bull riding.