Heiligensteiner Kerwe

The Heiligensteiner Kerwe is the traditional Kirchweih festival of the Heiligenstein district of the municipality of Römerberg. With its fixed date on the first weekend of June, it marks the start of the Palatinate Kerwe season in the southern Vorderpfalz and offers a classic village festival atmosphere with all the elements of Palatinate Kerwe tradition.

Palatinate Kerwe Tradition

Like all Palatinate Kerwen, the Heiligensteiner Kerwe includes the classic festival rituals:

• Festival opening on Friday evening with a keg tapping ceremony and a welcome address by the local mayor.
• Raising of the Kerwebaum (Kerwe tree) – a tall, decorated tree symbolizing the Kerwe is erected in the village center.
• Kerwe parade with the Kerweborscht, clubs, music bands, and festively decorated floats.
• Kerwerede / Kerwepredigt (Kerwe speech/sermon) in the Palatinate dialect with a humorous review of the year's events in the district.
• Festival service on Sunday morning.
• Frühschoppen with brass music and a Palatinate lunch.
• Dancing and live music in the evenings.

Heiligenstein as a District of Römerberg

Heiligenstein, along with Berghausen and Mechtersheim, is one of the three districts of the municipality of Römerberg, which was formed in 1969 from the merger of the previously independent villages. While Berghausen celebrates its own festival traditions with "Rock im Kerschegaade" (early September) and Mechtersheim with the Lochhewwel-Kerwe (early August), Heiligenstein's turn is in June. Thus, Römerberg offers its residents and guests several festival weekends throughout the year with different characters.

Club Life in the District

Like all Palatinate Kerwen, the Heiligensteiner Kerwe thrives on the voluntary commitment of local clubs: the fire department, sports club, music club, heritage society, and the Kerweborscht group are responsible for staffing the stalls and organizing the program. The proceeds go towards club activities, youth work, and local social projects.

Römerberg in the Southern Rhein-Pfalz District

Römerberg is located directly south of Speyer in the Rhein-Pfalz district and, with its approximately 9,500 inhabitants, is one of the larger municipalities in the district. Its location on the Rhine and at the transition between the Vorderpfalz and the Speyerer Wald (Speyer Forest) shapes the sense of identity of the municipality and its districts.