Kloppenheimer Kerb

Hesse's Kerb Tradition on the Outskirts of Wiesbaden

The Kloppenheimer Kerb is one of Wiesbaden's most vibrant district Kerben. Since 1980, it has been held annually on the last weekend of August by the Kerbegesellschaft Kloppenheim together with the other associations of the OrtsVereinsRing (OVR). What sounds like a small village festival is actually one of the liveliest district festivals in the state capital – with its own website, printed program booklet, stage, and thematic motto.

Kerb – What is it?

The term "Kerb" (short for Kirchweih) refers in Hesse to the traditional festival commemorating the consecration of the local church. The Kerbeborsch (young men of the village) take on organizational tasks, parade through the village on the Kerbenacht (Kerb night), hold satirical speeches, and symbolically auction off the "Giggel" (rooster). In Kloppenheim, this custom is cherished with great dedication.

Classic Kerb Schedule

The weekend follows a fixed pattern:

• Friday: Kerbebaum erection by the Kloppenheim Volunteer Fire Department, festival opening with keg tapping, live band.
• Saturday: Kerb parade with floats, groups, and associations, followed by the Giggelversteigerung (chicken auction), dance performances, playback show, live music until late at night.
• Sunday: Morning pint (Frühschoppen), family program, festival procession, evening event.

Stage and Association Stands

On the main stage in the town center, live bands such as Lisa Bund & Band or Let the Butterfly (bands from previous years) alternate with local groups. Stands of the Kloppenheim associations, selling food and drinks, line the area around the stage – catering as a means of financing for the associations, a classic function of the Hessian Kerb.

Kloppenheim – East of Wiesbaden City Center

Kloppenheim is a rather rural Wiesbaden suburb east of the city center, between Erbenheim and Igstadt. The Kerb lasts three days there and is one of about a dozen Wiesbaden district Kerben, spread across the entire season from April to September.