regional customs
Witches and devils take over at Walpurgis in the Harz Mountains
Witches and devils meet again on the Brocken to celebrate the traditional Walpurgis Night. Photo: Matthias Bein/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
For two years in a row, the usual celebrations, fires and concerts had to be canceled due to the pandemic. But this year, the tourism association promises hustle and bustle in many communities in the region.
The witches and devils are loose in the Harz Mountains, the places are eerily decorated: after a two-year break due to corona, Walpurgis is being celebrated again in many places.
In Wernigerode, costumed people symbolically stormed the town hall on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of spectators watched the spectacle on the market square, which is the prelude to the Walpurgis celebration for the witches and devils. In many places there are celebrations and concerts. In the afternoon, there are traditional parades and theater performances for children and families on the program. Fires are lit in the evening, and in many places there are fireworks at midnight.
Drive out the winter
The Harz Tourist Association expects thousands of visitors. In the Eastern Harz, Schierke at the foot of the Brocken with a medieval spectacle and Thale below the Hexentanzplatz are among the strongholds. According to the Harz Tourist Association, the biggest celebrations in the western Harz take place in Sankt Andreasberg, Bad Grund, Hahnenklee and Braunlage.
According to old folk belief, witches meet on the Brocken, also called Blocksberg, on the night of May 1st to dance and celebrate with the devil. In addition, the winter is driven out with a lot of shouting and the spring is welcomed. Goethe laid the literary foundation for the wild festivals – after climbing the Brocken in 1777, he captured the devilish goings-on in “Faust”.