Krickelsdorfer Kirwa

Living Customs Since 1970

The Krickelsdorfer Kirwa has been celebrated every year since 1970 on the weekend around Trinity Sunday – that is, the weekend after Pentecost – in the small village of Krickelsdorf, a district of the town of Hirschau. The occasion is the patron saint's day of the village chapel, which is dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity. The Kirwa is a living example of Franconian-Upper Palatinate tradition and the social highlight of the village year.

Kirwabaum, Kirwapaare and Hearty Music

The three-day festival follows a fixed sequence of customs: On the opening day, the Kirwabaum is erected, and on Trinity Sunday, a festive Kirwa church service takes place. The highlight is the dancing of the approximately twenty Kirwapaare in traditional costume, who perform classic folk dances such as the Boarischer, the Sternpolka, or "D'schöi Marie" before the Oberkirwapaar (head festival couple) is chosen. Live bands provide a hearty atmosphere on all days, and on Monday, the Kirwabaum is raffled off.

Village Community at the Centre

The organisers are the local groups of the KLB (Catholic Rural People's Movement) and the KLJB (Catholic Rural Youth Movement). Hospitality is provided by volunteers from the village. The venue is the area around the "Zur Linde" inn. The Krickelsdorfer Kirwa impressively demonstrates how a small village keeps its traditions alive across generations.

Location in the Amberg-Sulzbach District

Krickelsdorf belongs to the town of Hirschau in the Amberg-Sulzbach district in the Upper Palatinate administrative region of the Free State of Bavaria. The region around Hirschau – known as the "Kaolinpott" – cultivates a particularly dense and vibrant Kirwa culture.