Guild and Craftsmen Market at Seligenstadt Monastery

A Journey to the 18th Century

Anyone stepping through the monastery gate in Seligenstadt leaves the 21st century behind for a moment. The Guild and Craftsmen Market, organized by Klatschmohn Seligenstadt e.V., is more than a medieval market: it sees itself as a journey back to the 18th century – the era of trade caravans, traveling merchants, and scholars, when craft, trade, and conviviality shaped life.

The Benedictine Abbey as a Historical Backdrop

The festival takes place in the Monastery Courtyard of the former Benedictine Abbey of Seligenstadt – one of Hesse's most significant monastic complexes, founded in the 9th century by Einhard, the biographer of Charlemagne. The Romanesque monastery church, the Baroque cloister complex, and the extensive monastery garden form a unique backdrop that few other historical markets in Germany can offer.

Over 100 Craftsmen and Artists

More than 100 craftsmen and artists in historical costume demonstrate their skills at their stalls: blacksmiths work at open fires, basket weavers shape willow, potters turn bowls, bookbinders create hand-stitched notebooks, felt makers, weavers, woodturners, brush makers – the diversity of pre-industrial crafts comes alive in the monastery courtyard. What is sold here is not "medieval decoration," but authentic craftsmanship.

Open-Fire Kitchen and Grandmother's Recipes

The catering follows the historical concept. In the old monastery kitchen, food is prepared over an open fire – stews, suckling pig, bread from a clay oven. Alongside this, there are "lovingly prepared delicacies from grandmother's kitchen": potato pancakes, mead (Met), apple wine, farmer's bread with lard and Lyoner sausage. Modern standards are deliberately bypassed – the entire setup is part of the staging.

Music with Old Instruments

Throughout the grounds, musicians play old instruments – hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, shawm, medieval harp, drums. Juggler groups, acrobats, and a magician (Jan Gerken) perform at various locations. On Saturday evening, the program culminates in a grand spectacle with a fire show from 7 pm to 10 pm, featuring all the artists.

Seligenstadt — One of Hesse's Oldest Towns

The town on the Main, about 30 kilometers southeast of Frankfurt, is one of Hesse's oldest towns and a tourist gem with its old town of half-timbered houses and the monastery ensemble. The combination of the monastery complex and the historical market has been a reliable crowd-puller for years – attracting visitors from the entire Rhine-Main region.