Schongauer Land: The most beautiful maypoles - "They tried to steal the tree from us, but no chance"
Created: 05/01/2022Updated: 05/01/2022, 19:07
By: Rafael Sala, Jennifer Battaglia, Roland Halmel
There were more than 600 visitors at the maypole erection in Denklingen.
© Johannes Jais
After the erection of the maypole in many communities in the past two years due to the corona virus, the decorated trees can finally smell of being erected again this year.
Weilheim-Schongau — Finally it was time again.
After two years of the compulsory Corona break, maypoles were put up again all over the Schongau region.
We were there, below is a selection of the best pictures.
Maibaum in Birkland: And again there is a title
The dry spell is over, as you can easily see in the photo.
The Birkländer rural youth also put up a new maypole on May 1st.
As is good custom among the Birklanders, the tree is still erected with swallows.
Hermann Geiger once again donated the tree with a length of 32 meters.
"It's absolutely remarkable that every tree has been donated by the Geiger family since 1957," says Toni Pröbstl, head of the Landjugend.
The girls from the country youth, like here in the picture Amelie and Steffi, made sure that the boys stay in the mood.
© Hans Helmut Herold
"The Wildsteiger tried to steal the tree, but no chance," the board continued.
The fact that everything went off without a hitch is thanks to Stefan Guffner, as well as to the strong male figures of the country youth.
The master carpenter was in charge that afternoon.
The girls from the country youth, like here in the picture Amelie and Steffi, made sure that the boys stay in the mood.
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Maibaum in Denklingen: More than 600 visitors are there
Three minutes before 3 p.m., Ludwig Preisinger gave the command “Lift up” one last time.
Once again a concentrated effort of the boys on the poles was required, then the trunk was vertical and could be screwed to the foundation.
In Denklingen, the rural youth erected the 34 meter long maypole that was from the parish forest on Sunday.
There were more than 600 visitors at the maypole erection in Denklingen.
© Johannes Jais
The fact that this was done with muscle power is considered a major reason why more than 600 visitors gathered on the lower main street.
The Rosserer family, Hefele (Denklingen) and Greissl (Fuchstal), had harnessed four horses and brought the white-blue trunk from Oberdorf to the installation site at half past one.
Even during a breather while getting up, the Epfacher Trachtenverein danced next to the maypole.
In addition, the music band Denklingen played – just as they did later when the boys clattered to the “Holzhackerbuam” march.
Later, after the eight meter high flag had been hoisted for the "Bavarian anthem", a performance by the rural youth from Schwabsoien, the sponsored association, was also planned.
Maibaum in Ludenhausen: premiere for the fire chief
In Ludenhausen, where the youth club actually puts up a maypole every year, there has only been a three-meter guild pole for the past two years due to the Corona break, which was replaced by a Christmas tree around Christmas.
Now the new fire brigade commander Andreas Stork was responsible for putting up the maypole for the first time - his predecessor Joseph Reizele had done the job for 24 years.
Putting up the maypole was a premiere for Ludenhausen's fire department chief.
© Gisela Kloeck
The boys crowded tightly around the swallows to heave the mighty tree up.
The guild tree, surrounded by wide wreaths, towers a proud 39.5 meters high.
The celebrations continued with brass band music in and around Brosselt-Stadl.
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Maibaum in Ingenried: First erection after seven years
After seven long years, a maypole was finally put up again in Ingenried.
Strong men from the rural youth have heaved up the 28 meter high maypole.
In the beginning, eight swallows were necessary, in the end three were enough to hoist the magnificent tree into the anchorage with great care.
All of this under the watchful eye of Max Kögl.
Plenty of applause came from the spectators, who had settled themselves comfortably at the lunch tables next door.
Mayor Georg Saur was delighted that this custom could take place again after seven years.
It is practically the starting signal for club life to be able to revive after two years of Corona: "Simply beautiful."
A maypole was erected in Ingenried for the first time in seven years.
© Walter Kindelmann
Incidentally, this time the magnificent tree was donated by the Markus Mangold family.
The physical well-being was taken care of in the afternoon by the country youth with chairman Elena Martin, accompanied by music from the Ingenrieder Musikkapelle with conductor Benno Daxer.
At the end of the evening, the rural youth with currently 75 members had come up with something special.
They auctioned off parts of the dismantled maypole that had been put up seven years ago.
The "Lechroaner Rascals" provided musical entertainment throughout the evening.
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Maypole in Peiting: There was a lot of celebration here too
At the Kirchbichler Much, the Maypole of the Peitingers was guarded like the Queen's crown jewels, now it stands like a one on the main square in front of the Keppeler inn.
The tree, which was felled in the “Bergwiesn” municipal forest and is 32 meters long, was donated by the municipality itself.
There was also a lot of celebration in Peiting.
© Hans-Helmut Herold
The erection of the tree and of course the entire organization was in the hands of the traditional costume association "Alpenrose".
This once again showed an extensive supporting program in front of the large crowd of visitors.
The drummers, miners' association and traditional costume band, the traditional costume youth and the "old hands" in the matter of records received huge applause for their performances.
The youngsters in particular give hope that the old traditions will continue to be cultivated.
Maibaum Reichling: team of horses and brass band music
Horse and cart, brass band music, firecrackers and dancing into May - in Reichling everything that tradition had to offer was on offer when the maypole was erected.
The traditional costume association around CEO Markus Förg was lucky: "We put up a maypole every three years and are exactly in the rhythm, Corona didn't play a role for us," he said.
The tree was brought in the morning with a team of Haflingers and accompanied by the music club.
There was a big party in Reichling.
© Gisela Kloeck
In the middle of the village, numerous spectators watched as strong boys in traditional costumes lifted the 30-meter tree with the help of swallows.
The music club played and the young people in traditional costume offered performances that the team around the new youth leader Magdalena Scharding had rehearsed.
After the bankerl dance and volleys from the firecrackers, we continued to the rectory, where the celebrations continued with grilled meat and cake.
"It was a complete success," says Förg enthusiastically.
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Maibaum in Rott: With muscle power and crane to the goal
The maypole erected by the traditional costume association "D'Rottbachtaler" in Rott measures 28 meters.
In good weather, in the afternoon the sun even came out, hundreds of onlookers watched the erection of the traditional tree after the bracket on Weststrasse had been orphaned for years due to the corona pandemic.
It was set up in Rott with muscle power and a crane.
© Roland Halmel
Maypole in Rottenbuch: With a procession through the town
The 33-metre-long maypole was pulled through the town in a procession by a team of four cold-blooded horses owned by Tobias Erhard, former chairman of the Rottenbucher Trachtenverein Illachtaler.
It started at the threshing floor of the former Adalbert Neuner farm, where the maypole had been set up and closely guarded by people wearing traditional costumes and boys from the drummers and the band.
The music band accompanies the procession to the Fohlenhof.
After about two hours, 42 folks using pure muscle power lifted the maypole with swallows at the command "Hau - Ruck" from Heiner Heiland.
Costume board member Christoph Eiler was visibly relieved when the maypole was firmly anchored and erected accident-free.
The erection of the maypole was celebrated with a procession through Rottenbuch.
© Werner Schubert
With the Rottenbuch music band, everyone involved and visitors from near and far celebrated until late in the afternoon.
The tree was donated by Christian Heiland - according to his own statement, it is already the fourth from his own forest, which he had cut down himself on Thomas Night.
Maypole in Schwbsoien: "When angels celebrate, the weather will be nice"
Carpenter Josef Knappich climbed to lofty heights.
© Hans-Helmut Herold
A mighty fanfare from the Schwabsoien brass band, followed by the Bavarian parade march – the new maypole is up.
Not quite yet, as crane operator Konrad Gruber's casual comment suggests: "Apparently we're satisfied." You're not yet.
Only when Josef Knappich has removed the safety belt at a lofty height and then the diamond flag is hoisted to the Bavarian anthem does things fit.
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"When angels celebrate, the weather will be nice," commented one of the many visitors to the event.
The 34-metre-long maypole is carted in with a team of horses.
Donated by the community, felled in the "forbidden wood".
In the convoy music band, flag delegations, horse-drawn carriages with the 35 signs and the "Mädla & Buaba" of the rural youth.
Not to forget Pastor Sebastian Schmidt, who gives his blessing before the installation.
Everything runs like clockwork.
At the end, the spectators are rewarded with the star dance and the wood choppers.
Numerous visitors attended the erection of the Schwabsoien maypole.
© Hans-Helmut Herold
Maypole Schwabniederhofen: Small transitional tree set up with light
The Schönach community also has its maypole.
On the day before May 1st, three members of the "Maibaumfreunde Schwabniederhofen" set up a piece of tradition.
As written on the plaque: "Keep what home is with heart and love." Well, the lettering is from 2018, but that doesn't spoil the mood, even though the piece of tradition only measures five meters.
The attached top is remarkable.
It is a lamp that provides orientation at night.
Set up the “Bavarian Lighthouse” in front of the Janser inn in Schwabniederhofen: (from left) Gabriel Zwick, Marco Traxel and Anton Zwick.
© Hans-Helmut Herold
Initiator Gabriel Zwick explains: "We had to decide in December whether we would put up a new maypole or not." Because of the uncertain Corona situation, the friends decided not to put it up until 2023.
"With the 'Bavarian Lighthouse', however, we want to remind people of the values that are important: home and family," says Zwick.
"And of course also so that the holder doesn't stand empty for another year."
Maibaum Steingaden: He's standing again
Now the Steingaden Maypole is reaching for the sky: the 31 meter high blue and white traditional pole was finally handed over to its destination yesterday in front of the town hall by crane.
Numerous spectators lined the section on the B17 that was cordoned off by the fire brigade for this purpose.
Steingaden's maypole is up again.
© Rafael Sala
Actually, it should have been set up in 2020, but the hard lockdown in the course of the fight against the pandemic had thwarted the plan.
The tree is decorated with figures from tradition and craftsmanship, and this year the two traditional costume associations Almfrieden (Steingaden) and Lechtaler (Urspring) have set it up in the tried and tested way.
BY WALTER KINDELMANN/ GISELA KLÖCK/ WERNER SCHUBERT
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