Trenck the Pandur before Waldmünchen

A Historical Festival Play with 75 Years of History

First performed in 1950, the festival play tells the historical siege of Waldmünchen by the Austrian Pandur colonel Franz Freiherr von der Trenck in 1742. The town in the Oberpfälzer Wald was then ravaged by Trenck's troops during the War of the Austrian Succession – an event that continues to shape the region's collective memory to this day.

2026 – Farewell to the Brosch Production

The 2026 season is a historic turning point: for the last time, the play will be performed in the stage version by Otto Peisl and Karl Jentsch under the direction of Yvonne Brosch. Brosch, a long-time member of the Bavarian State Theatre Munich, celebrates her 25th directing anniversary at the festival in 2026. From 2027, Thomas Stammberger will take over the leadership with a new production.

300 Amateur Actors, Horses, and Campfires

What makes the Trenck Festival unique is the sheer power of the production: around 300 participants from Waldmünchen and the surrounding area transform the open-air stage into an 18th-century encampment. Riding scenes in the glow of crackling campfires, battle choreography, traditional costumes and uniforms, plus live music – a theatrical experience that unfolds its effect particularly in the darkness of the summer night.

Comfortable Grandstand and Traditions

The festival grandstand is glazed and roofed on three sides – an advantage over many open-air stages. The audience sits comfortably even in bad weather. Alongside the festival play, Waldmünchen has celebrated the Spectaculum Panduri for years, a historical market around the festival period that revives the 18th-century atmosphere throughout the town center.