Kreuth: Leonhardi ride and alpine farming should become cultural heritage

Kreuth wants to know: The Leonhardi ride and the traditional alpine pasture and forestry should become intangible cultural heritage.

That is why the community is applying to UNESCO.

Kreuth

– The current call from the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Homeland to apply for inclusion in the register of intangible cultural heritage (IKE) has fallen on sympathetic ears in Kreuth.

This time, the municipal council voted unanimously and enthusiastically in favor of Mayor Josef Bierschneider's (CSU) proposal to start with the Leonhardi ride and traditional alpine farming and agriculture.

In 2013, when the topic had already been discussed in the committee, the attitude was hesitant.

You wanted to wait.

In the meantime, however, other communities such as Traunstein with its Georgiritt and Sword Dance, Kirchseeon with its Perchten Run, Wolfratshausen with its passenger raft trips on the Isar and Loisach have had good experiences.

Likewise Bad Tölz, which is already on the IKE list with its Leonhardi ride.

"Being on the list has advantages," says Bierschneider, referring to the neighboring districts.

Certain things that are actually not legally possible under the road traffic regulations - for example driving and steering the historic chest wagon with push reins - are covered as tradition.

That would also benefit the Kreuther Leonhardifahrt.

It was first mentioned in a document in 1599 and has been preserved as a tradition to the present day.

The fact that it always takes place on the feast day of Saint Leonhard (November 6) and that all participants march as part of a church procession to the free altar and take part in the festival service there before the church is circled three times in the painted chest wagon is a special feature, it says in the Justification that Bierschneider read at the meeting on Thursday evening.

He also mentioned as an argument that the Kreuther Leonhardifahrt was never commercialized, but is still a thank you and prayer trip.

In addition, the Kreuther Leonhardifahrt is the oldest in Bavaria.

According to the community, the application with traditional alpine pastures and agriculture is supported by the fact that the Kreuth valley and the mountains have been shaped by centuries of cultivation through agriculture, which in turn is the basis for a diversity of flora and fauna, especially on the alpine pastures have created.

Bierschneider deliberately takes a stand for the traditional form of combined posture.

"With the inclusion, we would raise awareness that the preservation of a cultural landscape cannot be taken for granted, but only works through farming with livestock."

The municipal council was not only completely in agreement that an application makes sense.

There were other suggestions.

Peter Stiepan (CSU) could imagine including the traditional costume forest festivals in the application.

And Mathias Erhardt (Greens) saw the traditional costume associations themselves on the list.

Mayor Bierschneider promised to discuss this with the board members of Hirschbergler and Leonhardstoana.

However, he also made it clear: "The inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage is not about advertising, but about preserving our traditions, our landscape and our way of life."

Kreuth can now apply for cultural heritage status until October 31st.

According to the website of the Ministry of Homeland, this requires a meaningful application including pictures that above all "illustrate today's practice of cultural expression".