Vinzenzifest Wendlingen am Neckar

Vinzenzifest — Thanksgiving and Egerländer Sponsorship

The Vinzenzifest Wendlingen has been a unique phenomenon in the South German customs landscape for decades. It combines two traditions: on the one hand, a Catholic Harvest Festival honouring Saint Vinzenz (Vinzenz of Saragossa, patron saint of winemakers and pastors), and on the other hand, Wendlingen's sponsorship of the Egerländer — the residents of the Egerland in present-day Czech West Bohemia who were expelled to Baden-Württemberg after 1945. Wendlingen officially became the sponsor city for the Egerländer in Baden-Württemberg in 1955; the Vinzenzifest has been the annual meeting of the Egerländer homeland organization and its descendants ever since.

2026 Programme — The Main Highlights

The festival takes place on a summer weekend — in 2026 on 25 and 26 July. The highlight is Sunday with two consecutive main events:

• 9:30 AM — Vinzenzi Procession: The relic of St. Vinzenz (a fragment of bone) is carried in a solemn procession from St. Kolumban Church through the Wendlingen town centre. The Egerländer in their original costumes lead the procession, followed by the parish community and the townspeople. The procession concludes with a festive church service.
• 1:30 PM — Festival Parade: About a hundred Egerländer groups in original costumes — dance groups, music bands, club delegations — march through Wendlingen. Guests from all over Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and also from present-day Czech Republic come to the festival parade from the Egerländer diaspora.

Vinzenzi Market — 80 Stalls

Parallel to the festival programme, the Vinzenzi Market runs with about 80 market stalls. The range of goods is diverse: Egerländer handicrafts (bobbin lace, glass, pottery), regional specialities (Egerländer sausage, bread, cheese), craft goods, clothing, garden items, children's products. The market is the convivial meeting point before and after the main ceremonies.

Holiday Weekend Significance

The Vinzenzifest takes place annually on the last weekend before the Baden-Württemberg summer holidays — a traditionally set date. It marks the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer festival season; many Wendlingen residents and Egerländer descendants use it as an annual family reunion.

Wendlingen am Neckar — City of Egerland Sponsorship

Wendlingen am Neckar (around 16,000 inhabitants, Esslingen district, AGS 08116) is located at the transition between the Filstal and Schurwald, about 25 km southeast of Stuttgart. The town is small but holds special cultural and political significance due to its Egerländer sponsorship since 1955. The Vinzenzifest is its most important annual festival and, at the same time, a piece of living history of post-war German society.