Illschwanger Vituskirwa

One of the liveliest Kirchweih traditions in the Upper Palatinate

Illschwang is a small municipality in the Amberg-Sulzbach district in the Upper Palatinate — and a village where the Franconian-Upper Palatinate Kirchweih tradition is lived out particularly intensely. The main church and its districts alone celebrate six different Kirchweihs per year. The most important of these: the Vituskirwa of the parish church of St. Vitus in the main village, celebrated on the Sunday after Corpus Christi.

The course of a Franconian Kirchweih

The Vituskirwa follows a strictly traditional choreography, which takes place similarly in many places in northern Bavaria, but is particularly carefully maintained in Illschwang:

• Friday — Kirwabaum-Aufstellen (Raising of the fair tree): The Kirwaboum (young men of the village) fetch the tree from the forest, decorate it with flower wreaths, and erect it on the village square under the guidance of the elders
• Saturday — Festival tent opening with live music and beer tapping
• Sunday — Festival service and Kirwatanz: In the afternoon, the Kirwapaare (fair couples) dance in a circle around the tree, during which satirical songs about the events of the village year are performed
• Austanzen des Oberkirwapaars (Crowning of the head fair couple): A bouquet of flowers is passed among the dancing couples until a bell rings — the couple holding the bouquet when the bell rings becomes the Oberkirwapaar with special rights and duties
• Monday — Abkehraus (Farewell): last day with Frühschoppen (morning pint), festival tent, and a cozy end

The Kirwagemeinschaft Illschwang

The organizing Kirwagemeinschaft Illschwang consists of the young men and young adults of the village who actively pass on the customs. Practically the entire village traditionally helps with the preparations — from decorating the tree to serving in the festival tent.

Six Kirchweihs in one municipality

In addition to the Vituskirwa in the main village, the districts of Illschwang celebrate their own Kirchweihs: Dietersberg on the first weekend of July, Ritzenfeld on the third Sunday of July (Ritzenfeld-Kirwa), Aichazandt on the Sunday before July 20, Götzendorf on July 22, and Pürschläg on the fourth Sunday of July. Anyone who wants to experience the Franconian-Upper Palatinate Kirchweih tradition will find one of the densest concentrations in Bavaria here.