Kerwe Katzenbach

The Kerwe Katzenbach is the traditional Kirchweih (church consecration festival) of the Katzenbach district in the Ramstein-Miesenbach administrative district in Kaiserslautern county. From September 4th to 7th, 2026, the four-day Kerwe will be celebrated – a central date in the annual calendar of the Westrich community.

Katzenbach in the Westrich

Katzenbach belongs to the Ramstein-Miesenbach administrative district and is located in the Westrich region of West Palatinate. The small local community preserves its village identity through active club life, in which the Kerwe is the social highlight.

Four-Day Palatinate Kerwe

The Katzenbacher Kerwe is celebrated over four days: Friday opening with keg tapping and the first dance evening, Saturday festival operations with live music, Sunday main Kerwe day with Frühschoppen (morning pint), lunch, Kerwe parade in the afternoon, and festival evening, Monday family day with Kerwe burial late in the evening.

Palatinate Customs

As everywhere in the Palatinate, the Kerweborsch – unmarried young men of the village – and the Kerweparrer (Kerwe priest) with his satirical and humorous Kerwerede (Kerwe speech) shape the festival events. The Kerwestrauß (Kerwe bouquet) is erected on the opening evening and symbolically burned on Monday evening during the Kerwebeerdigung (Kerwe burial).

Club Life and Catering

The local clubs – sports club, fire department, and others – provide the festival tent, bar, and catering. The menu features Palatinate classics: Saumagen (pig's stomach stuffed with minced meat and bread), Bratwurst (fried sausage), Leberknödel (liver dumplings), Schwenkbraten (pan-fried pork neck), fries, and Schmalzgebäck (fried dough pastries). Draft beer and Palatinate wine accompany the festival weekend. On Sunday afternoon, the women of the parish serve coffee and cake.

Significance for the Community

For Katzenbach, the Kerwe is an important date in the annual calendar. Former residents return, families plan reunions, and the festival events contribute significantly to the clubs' finances.