Actually, only 2026 would have been seven years – that’s the cycle in which the Munich Schäffler perform their dance. But because there is a pandemic and war, the “Fachverein der Schäffler Münchens” decided to break with tradition and perform again in 2022. “We dance against Corona and the war,” says Wilhelm Schmid, the chairman of the association. “We want to encourage people.”
However, the off-season will be significantly shorter than the usual appearances: the coopers don’t want to be on the road for about a month, from January to Shrove Tuesday, but just four days. It starts on May 5th in front of the State Chancellery on Franz-Josef-Strauß-Ring. On May 7th at 10.30 a.m. they will perform at Marienplatz. In between there are six to eight performances a day until the troupe dances for the last time on May 8 in the evening in front of their hostel, the Augustiner in Neuhauser Straße.
The party consists of 20 dancers, plus an ensign, two Punch and Judy and a tire swinger. According to legend, the coopers’ dance originated during the plague epidemic of 1517. A chronicle says: “Thousands died the city and there was a great shortage of food. The misery had reached the highest level and even after the plague had disappeared nobody dared to leave the house for a long time, all traffic came to a standstill.”
In this depressing situation, a man whose name is not recorded came up with the idea of doing something to counteract the misery, a funny spectacle. This man was a Schäffler, i.e. barrel maker, and he convinced his fellow guild members of the plan. The butchers also took part, which is how the Metzgersprung, which also exists to this day, came into being, in which the acquitted apprentices jump into the fish fountain on Marienplatz – today for fun, back then to demonstrate that the air and water are clean.
There may still be one problem: the costumes
The idea achieved its goal. The chronicle goes on to say: “While those who had been spared the plague were still sitting in locked rooms, pale and emaciated, huddled together in embarrassing fear from misery, one day cheerful music rang out in the streets. Everyone had been hurrying to them for a long time opened the window and lo and behold, the coopers went in flocks to the market square, where they performed a round dance with green leafy tires and the ‘Gretl mit der Butten’ – which was later replaced by the ‘Hanswursten’ – amused old and young with their jokes . Everyone streamed out of the half-deserted houses and laughed heartily.”
The Schäfflertanz is therefore definitely a secular affair, in contrast to the Oberammergau Passion Play, for example, which is based on a plague vow. It is not entirely clear why the Schäffler dance every seven years, but there are possible explanations schäfflertanz.com. However, the rhythm was repeatedly broken, for example at the Olympic Games in 1972 when the coopers danced at the opening ceremony. Wilhelm Schmid, the chairman of the association, now has only one concern: the traditional costumes are actually made for the carnival season, i.e. for the winter. This year, however, there will be dancing in early summer. “Hopefully it won’t be too warm in May,” says Schmid.