The ‘Landshut Wedding’

(German: Landshuter Hochzeit)

‘HALLOOO LAHO’ was the first thing to hear on the streets of (LA) Landshut, lower bavaria. A Saturday, super sunny and 30 Celsius hot. A long time planning ahead to visit this mega event, I was happy about this opportunity finally took place. With more than 500.000 visitors over the duration of 4 weeks it is a mega event, and even the radio news declared for these 4 weeks Landshut the temporarly capital of Bavaria. The mood of the visitors was cheerful and exuberant and the physical well-being was well taken care of.

The performances of the jugglers, flag-throwers, dance and music groups as well as the theater performers were terrific and carried the audience away. Just like the ladies and gentlemen of high society in their impressive detailed great costumes. For a sec I felt a bit pity for them, since the original wedding took place in November at much lower temperatures. Yes, your thinking is right, the costumes of the actors they are wearing now in July, were designed and tailored for winter time.

Some picture impressions

The Landshut Wedding

The ‘Landshut Wedding’ is a historical festival lasting several weeks that is currently performed every four years in the summer time in Landshut, in 2023 it took place from 30th of June to 23rd of July. The Covid-19 pandemic event interrupted the term scheduled in 2021, meaning it did not take place.

In 1903, the wedding was restaged by 145 participants for the first time. Today, more than 2500 participants in historical costumes from a wide variety of profession and society rank take part. It commemorates ‘the wedding in Landshut in 1475, of Georg’s ‘The Rich’, son of the Bavarian Duke Louis the Rich, celebrated with Hedwig Jagiellonica, daughter of the Polish King Andreas Casimir IV. The festival was included in the nationwide register of intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

Historical Marriage

The wedding between Georg and Hedwig was of great political importance, because the connection between the two nobles was seen as a strong alliance against the power of the Ottomans. The marriage was preceded by intensive talks between the two princely houses in 1474, and the marriage was negotiated in Kraków by embassies.

The bridal journey of 18-year-old Hedwig began in the fall of the following year. It lasted two months and led on the then poorly developed trade routes via Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Altenburg, Zwickau, Oelsnitz/Vogtland and, changing the planned route, via Eger and Regensburg, taking a detour to Nuremberg before Hedwig her groomsman, Otto II von Neumarkt, arrived in Landshut. Here the marriage aspirant was warmly welcomed by the princes and bishops who had traveled there. The Elector of Brandenburg, Albrecht Achilles, compared the marriage to a divine providence for the benefit of Christianity and the empire.

The wedding took place on November 14th and 15th, 1475 in Landshut. The bridal couple was married by Salzburg Archbishop Bernhard von Rohr at the parish church of St. Martin, which dominates the city. The bridal procession then led through the old town to the town hall. There the Emperor Friedrich III escorted the bride to the wedding ceremony. It is reported that ten thousand guests attended the event, drinking, dancing and enjoying themselves at the jousting tournament.

Stay Inspired!

Sandra Sachsenhauser