Historical Billy Goat Auction Deidesheim

A Tradition from 1534

The history of the Deidesheim Billy Goat Auction dates far back into the Middle Ages. As early as the 14th century, the inhabitants of Lambrecht — then a small valley in the Palatinate Forest — had received the right to graze their sheep and goats on the Deidesheim pastures. In return, they had to pay rent to the town — and from 1404, this rent was fixed as a billy goat. Since 1535, the public auction of the goat on Whit-Tuesday has been documented; it is thus one of the oldest continuously maintained traditional events in Germany.

The Billy Goat Hike from Lambrecht

Whit-Tuesday begins very early for the Lambrecht citizens: Around 5:30 a.m., the procession with this year's billy goat — in 2026 it will be named Timm-Niklas — sets off from Lambrecht towards Deidesheim. The route leads through the Palatinate Forest, and the goat is ceremonially received by a Deidesheim delegation at the town border around 10 a.m. What follows is a colourful array of historical reenactments, dance, music, and Palatinate joie de vivre.

Town Court, Cooper's Ritual, and Folklore Show

In front of the historic town hall on the market square, the traditional town court is staged during the day: a short theatre performance in the Palatinate dialect, which re-enacts the historical handover of the goat. In addition, the cooper's ritual (Küferschlag) — the traditional hammering of wooden barrels — and the popular barrel sliding (Fassschlüpfen) are part of the fixed programme. A folklore show with traditional costume groups, brass bands, and dance ensembles characterises the afternoon, and several stands serve top wines from the Deidesheim wineries from the famous vineyards of Hohenmorgen, Kieselberg, Paradiesgarten, and Grainhübel.

The Auction at 6 p.m.

The highlight of the day is the actual auction at 6 p.m. on the market square. An auctioneer auctions off the goat to the highest bidder in front of several thousand spectators — the atmosphere is jubilant, the bids are met with cheers, and the proceeds traditionally go to a charitable cause. The auctioned goat usually doesn't end up in the pan but is solemnly taken over by the buyer.