New Year's Eve in Germering: 2500 celebrate peacefully in front of the town hall

Created: 01/01/2023 16:26

By: Peter Loder

The day before New Year's Eve, the square in front of the town hall was transformed into a party mile: 2,500 visitors celebrated with the boys.

© Fraternity Unterpfaffenhofen

They weren't allowed to celebrate for two years, and now Germering's party bangers really let it rip on the Stadthalle forecourt.

Germering – The only thing that didn't quite work out at the pre-New Year's party was the weather timing.

On Friday evening, 24 hours before the official turn of the year, the night sky often dribbled uncomfortably when the Oktoberfest band "Nachtstark" rocked the city on behalf of Unterpfaffenhofen's boys' club.

The next day on the right final day in 2022 it would have been mild and dry.

But the wet and cold external circumstances have fueled the mood among the 2500 now-even-more visitors - more were not allowed - additionally fueled.

Eager to work: Pyrotechnician Kai Krautwasser (centre) with his fireworkers Seray Zimpl (left) and Florian Pelz.

© tb

Konstantin Lederer was someone who "didn't give a damn" about the rain.

In short summer shorts, the 26-year-old presented his tight calves ("I'm not cold, I ski with shorts too") and toasted the party with a Desparado beer in his hand.

They danced, hopped and swayed shoulder to shoulder in the dense crowd through the evening, the climax of which followed at the stroke of midnight: the firework display right next to the forecourt lasted seven minutes.

Kai Krautwasser, at the age of 23 Upper Bavaria's youngest pyrotechnician, had set up three rocket batteries with around 200 rockets together with his employees Seray Zimpl and Florian Pelz in the early evening - while hasty private firecrackers were already being ignited all around.

"The rain isn't a problem, the fuse stays dry," the fireworker reassured.

A few meters further on behind the privacy screen, there was a merry party and the party-goers worked up a sweat in the taverns and delicacies.

Boy boss Manuel Wilhelm (26) had rounded up 60 helpers from the entire club stock with regular – i.e. single male – members as well as older boys who are now married and their wives to cope with the onslaught.

For Wilhelm, who joined the club at the age of 15,

it was the first pre-New Year's Eve celebration that he had to organize as chairman in a responsible position.

Ex-Vice Christian Zigann (38) and several other old boys stood by.

700 liters of red and 350 liters of white mulled wine were ordered in advance of the planning that has been going on since September.

A small remainder was left for the boys to taste for themselves.

The next day, the cash register collapsed: Wilhelm's account paid off, the next club trips and celebrations can be financed from the proceeds.

Well-established team: the outgoing Stadthallen boss Medea Schmitt, boys boss Manuel Wilhelm (right) and ex-vice Christian Zigann.

© Loder

The refrigerated truck with beer and bar drinks was almost completely empty when, half an hour after midnight, the last encore of the "Nachtstark" band faded away in the cloud-covered sky.

For singer Mathias Kraft and his colleagues, the performance was the end of the season and a new start at the same time.

From January, the Munich cult group, celebrated in the Paulaner Wiesn tent, will be working on a new programme.

Due to the weather, Kraft in Germering, where "Nachtstark" has been a permanent guest on the pre-New Year's Eve stage since 2014, has already experienced everything: "When we were here for the first time, we needed snow chains.

Summer tires are enough now.” This year, “Nachtstark” will be heard at the folk festivals in Fürstenfeldbruck, Olching and Puchheim, as well as at club celebrations in Eichenau and Mammendorf.

The penultimate day in 2023 is already firmly planned because: “Germering is a home game for us.

Medea Schmitt, on the other hand, will no longer be there in an official capacity on December 30, 2023.

The Stadthallen director is on a farewell tour and will retire in February.

"Because of all the organizing, I didn't even have time to realize that this would be my last pre-New Year's Eve celebration," she said after she had her last final meeting with organizers, security forces, police and paramedics on Friday shortly before the entrance gates opened .

Medea Schmitt will accompany the festival, which was born under her direction and that of the boys' association, as a private guest of honor: "It's just great how everything has developed.

I will really miss the really nice guys.” After the end of the event, Manuel Wilhelm reported: “Everything went perfectly.

As always, it was nice and quiet.