Schul- und Heimatfest Roßwein

Heritage Festival from the 19th Century

The Roßwein School and Heritage Festival dates back to the 19th century, making it one of the oldest heritage festivals in Saxony. At its core, it is a school festival — the Roßwein schools, clubs, and citizens come together to organize a festival week. With its 46th edition in 2026, it is a festival that has connected generations for almost five decades. Those who grew up in Roßwein have known it since childhood; those who come from outside experience an unusually dense tradition.

City Gates and Naadelbäumchen

A special feature that visibly shapes the festival are the City Gates and Naadelbäumchen. City gates are symbolically erected at the entrances to Roßwein — wooden structures with garlands, wreaths, and inscriptions that signal "Roßwein welcomes its guests." The Naadelbäumchen — small fir trees — are placed along the streets, decorated with garlands and ribbons. This culture of decoration has been voluntarily maintained in the small town for generations — the street mayors are responsible for the decoration of "their" street and engage in friendly competition each year.

Festival Procession on Sunday

The highlight of the festival week is the grand procession on Sunday afternoon. Clubs, school classes, carnival associations, the fire department, sports groups, and floats with motifs from Roßwein's history and present day parade through the city center. The procession is a kind of living festival program of the town — it shows what Roßwein is all about, what moves the schools and clubs, and what the citizens plan together. Thousands of spectators line the route, many of them former Roßwein residents returning from all over Germany for the procession.

Festival Week and Concerts

Before the procession, a whole festival week takes place: concerts in the town church, sports competitions by clubs, school celebrations at Roßwein schools, children's programs, dance evenings, and a festival tent with live music. This spread over several days makes the School and Heritage Festival more than just a weekend event — it draws the community into the festivities for an entire week.

Roßwein in the Mulde Valley

Roßwein is located in the Mulde Valley in the Mittelsachsen district of Saxony. The small town with around 5,700 inhabitants on the Freiberger Mulde is surrounded by dense forests, old mining sites, and castles (Schloss Roßwein, Burg Kriebstein nearby). Those arriving for the festival can easily combine it with hiking, cycling, or castle visits — the nearby Altzella Monastery complex is a worthwhile destination.