Erding: anticipation of the Sweden spectacle

Erding - There are still a good two months until the premiere of the Sweden Games in Erding.

But the amateur actors are already out and about in the city to promote the spectacle.

“The Swedes are coming – get you to safety!” A woman from Erding screamed loudly and ran into the VR Bank on Zollnerstraße and wanted to warn the employees.

But it was already too late.

A horde of terrifying figures stormed into the bank, dragged bank director Johann Luber outside and tied him to the cannon with thick ropes.

Only after paying a ransom of a Tragl beer did they release him and move on.

The Sweden Games in Erding are now officially open.

After 1978, 1991, 1996, 2003 and 2009, this year the open-air spectacle is taking place for the sixth time in downtown Erding, presented by the Volksspielgruppe Altenerding.

Your longtime theater director Sepp Beil had the idea for this play in 1978, on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the city of Erding.

Although the performances in front of the Beautiful Tower do not start until the end of June, the starting signal has already been given.

Until the end of July, the ducal city will be dominated by the Swedes, who burned down Erding three times during the 30-year war and brought unspeakable suffering to the population.

With a view to the war in Ukraine, the reference could not be more current.

Curious: While the Swedes in yellow and blue were the perpetrators back then, the Ukrainians – whose national colors are yellow and blue – are the victims today.

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Here we go: The Swedes met at the Grüner Markt to see the space for their future Swedish camp.

Then they headed towards the city center, where they launched their first raids.

© Wolfgang Krzizok

On Maundy Thursday, some of the approximately 150 performers met for the official start of the Sweden Games at the Grüner Markt, where the Sweden camp is set up during the festival, and moved to Zollnerstraße.

There, a 90 square meter advertising poster for the Swedish Games was attached to the northern gable of the VR Bank.

The artist Harry Seeholzer, who designed the poster, personally attached it.

Then Irmi Klupp was lifted up with a lifting platform.

The honorary member of the Volksspielgruppe smashed a wheat beer bottle on the facade after a cannon shot and christened the Swede Erik on the poster.

The amateur actors then swarmed out and distributed advertising flyers in the city centre.

A horde of Swedes immediately went on a raid.

First, the VR bank was attacked, then the group roared loudly across the Grüner Markt to the Gewandhaus Gruber, where junior manager Leopold Gruber was tied to the cannon and also had to buy his freedom with beer.

Also in the next few weeks the Swedes will be moving through Erding and up to mischief.

The open-air performances, directed by Renate Eßbaumer and Manuela Schieder - Erich Peinelt is the technical director - start on Thursday, June 23rd.

The piece will be performed a total of 13 times until Saturday, July 23, starting at 9 p.m. each time.

All information about the Swedish Games can be found on the Internet at www.volksspielgruppe.de.

Tickets are already available and can be bought at Stadthalle Erding – also online.