Wallbach celebrates: rafting honored as a UNESCO cultural heritage!
Wallbach celebrates: rafting honored as a UNESCO cultural heritage!
Wallbach, Deutschland - in the picturesque Bad Säckingen, more precisely in the Wallbach district, you traditionally celebrate Pentecost and recognize the long history of the rafting. This year the celebration is dedicated to a special event: the UNESCO officially recognized Wallbach in December 2022 as an intangible cultural heritage. This award, which was requested together by Germany, Latvia, Austria, Poland, Spain and the Czech Republic, recognizes the importance of the rafting as a lively tradition with a rich cultural heritage. Südkurier reported that the local council unveiled a new wage table on Saturday, the Wallbach marks as a "Flößerdorf".
Historically, the rafting was an essential economic activity that secured existence for centuries. In the 19th century, 57 of 414 inhabitants worked in this area, which underlines the central role of the rafting. During the speech by the mayor Fred Thelen, which took place despite rainy weather, the dangers of the profession were reminded, which are reflected in historical paintings of rapids near Laufenburg. The connection between the two Wallbachs, which was also called "passage", is part of this story, even if it has blown away today. Location removed almost 100 years ago.festivities and traditions
The celebrations for the rafting title included an expanded program. On Pentecost Sunday, the ferry traffic between Baden and the Aargau Wallbach was revived. Swiss pontooners headed for a barge over the Rhine, which was accompanied by Weidlingen with a flat bug to enable a better banker. In addition to the water event, Wallbacher ensured that cakes were balanced over the Rhine to support the fire department.
Another highlight was the unveiling of a blackboard that is reminiscent of the rafting and belongs to the rafting guild in Wallbach, which has existed since 1993 and also maintains tradition during the carnival. During the celebrations, rafting schnapps was initiated, which put the local cuisine in the foreground. Mayor Alexander Guhl also praised the sporting success and the commitment of the citizens in the community during the event.
cultural heritage and future prospects
The rafting has meaning beyond Wallbach, not least because of the use of timber from the Black Forest for the Dutch East India Company. These historical connections by the rafting were worthy of at the event. In conjunction with the honor of the intangible cultural heritage, Thelen submitted applications in addition to the rafting to have the schnapps distillery recognized as a cultural heritage. Class = "Source_3"> UNESCO reports that UNESCO sees the rafting as a central tradition in European culture.
This development shows the value of traditions and how they shape social life in rural areas. Far from the large rivers, the rafting is the link between the past and the future and remains a starting point for the community in Wallbach. In addition, Fred Thelen's upcoming farewell from local politics is imminent after 37 years as a new chapter in the history of the community.
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| Ort | Wallbach, Deutschland |
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