Schmidmühlner Kirwa (Schmidgoner Kirwa)

Schmidmühlner Kirwa — Upper Palatinate customs at their finest

Anyone comparing the Middle Franconian Kerwa and the Upper Palatinate Kirwa will quickly notice: in the Upper Palatinate, the Kirwa is more compact (usually three days) and ritualized. The Schmidmühlner Kirwa exemplifies this tradition perfectly. With its 20 Kirwa couples, it is one of the largest village Kirwas in the Amberg-Sulzbach district.

Schmidmühlen in the Amberg-Sulzbach District

The market town of Schmidmühlen is located in the Amberg-Sulzbach district in the state of Bavaria, at the confluence of the Lauterach and Vils rivers. With its historic hammer mills and medieval market structure, Schmidmühlen is a typical representative of the small Upper Palatinate towns — and it is precisely this compact, closely connected village structure that fosters a particularly active Kirwa.

The Kirwa Couples — the young heart of tradition

The center of the Schmidmühlner Kirwa are the 20 Kirwa couples. The young men and women (often in their early 20s) wear traditional costumes, practice their dancing for months, and pass on the Kirwa identity from one generation to the next. The highlight is the Baumaustanzen on Sunday afternoon: the couples dance around the decorated Kirwabaum, a bouquet is danced for, and the next main couple emerges from the dance.

Program and Rituals

The schedule follows a fixed rhythm that has evolved over generations:

• Saturday — Erecting the Kirwabaum (today right next to the festival tent) starting at 1 p.m., followed by dancing with a live band in the evening
• Sunday — Festive church service with the brass band „St. Ägidius", followed by Frühschoppen, lunch (classic: roast pork), Baumaustanzen in the afternoon, coffee and cake, and more dance music in the evening
• Monday — Lunch (advance booking required), seniors' afternoon, dance evening, around 10 p.m. the auction of the Kirwabaum as the festival finale

Heated Festival Tent — When the Upper Palatinate gets cold at night

A special feature of the Schmidmühlner Kirwa is the heated festival tent. In the Upper Palatinate hills, it can get chilly in the evenings in September — the Kirwagemeinschaft has responded to this and thoughtfully provided for its guests. Together with the live music from bands established over the years (Stoapfälzer Spitzbuam, HeJo, Power Hoch 5), this creates an atmosphere that justifies many long journeys.