Landshut Wedding 2009

Every four years, Landshut, a picturesque town in Lower Bavaria, is the setting of a major medieval festival: the Landshut Wedding. This year it is time to celebrate again! From June the 27th to July the 19th 2009, the town will come alive once more with medieval nobility and townsfolk gathering to celebrate the nuptials of Hedwig of Poland and Duke George the Rich.

Why is it that a wedding that took place in the year 1475 and was a deliberate political decision rather than a romantic love match is still remembered and even celebrated today? Let's hazard a guess or two: This wedding took place at the end of an era – when medieval times slowly turned towards enlightenment. An underlying note of unease and disquiet seems to have marked this period. Thus, the celebration of a wedding that helped to move Europe closer together, was of outstanding importance.

A more obvious reason for celebrating an historic event that has no real significance for us today is simply the joy of celebrating such colorful and exotic festivities. To revive a time so distant that it has taken on a romantic and nostalgic sheen, and to bring some old fashioned glamor, joyful music and comedy into our matter-of-fact lives.

Evidently, the wedding of Hedwig of Poland and Duke George the Rich was a big event. Many influential people, kings, dukes and electors, even Friedrich III., emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, attended. The Landshut wedding revives all festivities that accompanied the medieval celebrations: The great entrance of the bride, the jostling tournaments, dances and plays, jugglers, minstrels and morris dancers, to name but a few.

So come to Landshut and get a taste of medieval times.

For further information we recommend the website of the organizer: www.landshuter-hochzeit.de