Traditional Hahnrupfen of the Werben Youth

Sorbian Harvest Tradition in the Spreewald

Werben (Sorbian Wjerbno) is a small municipality in the Amt Burg (Spreewald) in the Spree-Neiße district, southwest of Cottbus. It is located in the heart of the Lower Sorbian settlement area – a region where the Sorbian language, customs, and traditional costumes are still alive today. The Hahnrupfen is one of the defining festivals of the Sorbian annual cycle during harvest time and is organized in Werben by the Domowina youth.

From Procession to the Crowning of the Harvest King

The event begins with a festive procession of riders – young men and women in white shirts, white trousers, or traditional costume – which leads from the Old School through the village to the meadow next to the sports hall. The actual Hahnrupfen begins there: the riders ride under a frame from which a rooster is attached and try to grab the rooster's head, wings, or feathers as they ride past.

Harvest King and Harvest Queen

Whoever grabs the rooster's head becomes the 1st Harvest King; the next two who pluck the wings become the 2nd and 3rd Harvest Kings. The victors and their horses are adorned with oak leaf wreaths. The Harvest Queen is chosen from the young women, who accompanies the festival and, in many villages, appears at other Sorbian harvest festivals – a closely interconnected world of customs between Werben, Drachhausen, Burg, and Papitz.

Preliminary Rounds and Prizes

Before the actual Hahnrupfen, preliminary rounds take place where riders collect points and qualify for the main competition. Prizes are also awarded there. Horses and riders train regularly in the rural riding scene of Lower Lusatia; the festival is both a competition and a harvest thanksgiving.

Werben and the Sorbian Spreewald Region

The preservation of the Hahnrupfen in the Sorbian Spreewald is a sign of cultural self-assertion. The Domowina, as the umbrella organization of the Sorbs/Wends, carries this tradition forward together with the village youth – ensuring that the Hahnrupfen is not a museum piece but a living practice for young riders. Werben is one of the villages where this custom is particularly consistently maintained.