On May 16, 1700, Johann Peter Schwab from St. Martin married the noblewoman Juliana de Beaupré. Today there are numerous descendants of this unusual connection. On the occasion of the local anniversary of St. Martin, Judith Ziegler-Schwaab set out on the trail of her ancestor and discovered something almost unbelievable: coming from early French nobility in Champagne, Juliana de Beaupré even brought royal blood into St. Martin’s winemaking families.
The “History Dinner” on the 14th. and November 28th is one of the highlights of the anniversary year, says local mayor Timo Glaser. Carmen Ziegler and Judith Ziegler-Schwaab take part in the “St. Martiner Castell” takes you on a culinary and musical journey into the past. In addition to the story about the royal blood in St. Martin’s veins, there is more news from yesterday to report. So you can find out why the knight Franz von Will, a St. Martin winemaker’s son, called the eldest son of the Emperor Napoleon I uncle or why Gottlob Amand von Dalberg, St. Martin’s last feudal lord, was better than his reputation upon closer inspection. The village, which was originally called Martenheim (hence “Made”), has always been popular: whether as a summer retreat for the Speyer patricians, because of its mountain viticulture, as a village of artists and musicians, as a wine and cherry health resort, for its flourishing fruit market and, last but not least, as early pioneer of Palatinate tourism.
The people of St. Martin were always resourceful and creative. While Judith Ziegler-Schwaab selects and illuminates aspects from the past, Carmen Ziegler entertains with local poetry and prose and reads about the experiences of her ancestor “Plärrle” Valentin Ziegler, as a battle hunter in the 1870s war. Concert zither soloist Gaby Kießling provides musical accompaniment with selected pieces. Last but not least, in honor of the St. Martins, she plays the zither piece “My Life a Dream”, a composition by the local musician and bandmaster Josef Kiefer (1812-1884).
Wine menu inspired by local history
Jan Krüger, host and chef at the “St. Martiner Castell”, was inspired by the local history to create a festive four-course wine menu that takes up the special features of the local cuisine. Menu sequence: St. Martiner Trilogy (chestnut soup, sausage stomach, crab net), fish “Mademer Woog” (fillet of rainbow trout, on leek vegetables and with horseradish sauce), two types of St. Martin’s goose (goose leg and stuffed breast, with chestnuts, apple red cabbage, homemade dumplings and French fries Dauphin), dessert plate 875 years of St. Martin (delicacies from the good old days).
Due to demand, there are two dates for the “History Dinner 875 Years of St. Martin”: Thursday, November 14th and Thursday, November 28th, at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.). Price per person: 69 euros (four-course menu with corresponding wines, welcome aperitif and table water). Advance ticket sales/reservations at the Hotel St. Martiner Castell, telephone 06323 9510.
