These days, Düsseldorf is all about St. Martin. Following the old custom, Martins trains will be pulling through the state capital again this year – but not as many as usual due to the corona. Behind St. Martin on horseback is followed by the crowd of children, often with self-made lanterns. The highlight of the Martins tradition is the evening procession through the streets and alleys of Düsseldorf’s old town on Wednesday, November 10th. In 1886, more than 125 years ago, this train was first organized.
During the two weeks around St. Martin’s Day, there is a St. Martin’s procession almost every evening in at least one district of Düsseldorf, where children and adults pull behind horses and riders with illuminated lanterns and sing the traditional songs. While schools, kindergartens or rifle clubs often act as organizers of the St. Martin’s marches in the individual parts of the city, the Friends of St. Martin’s Festival established itself in Düsseldorf’s old town in 1926 eV found together.
Two chapels and three heralds start on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Stiftsplatz and move over Lambertusstrasse and Mühlenstrasse to the market square. The first coat split takes place there around 5.30 p.m. Due to the corona, a small procession with Martin’s lanterns will only follow from the town hall this year. After the jacket has been divided, it will move over the Rheinort along the Rhine to Burgplatz, where a second jacket will be divided around 6 p.m. Then the train dissolves. Representing the role of St. Martin is in reliable hands again. as St. Martin rides Engelbert Jäger (67) on the train.
To get in the mood, the story of Sankt Martin will be read out in front of the town hall from 4.30 p.m.
The Association of Friends of the Martinsfest is not only responsible for the big procession, it also organizes a series of events that are intended to strengthen the customs of the Martinsfest. Above all, this includes an exhibition of Martin’s lamps. Numerous children took part again this year. The best work will be awarded. Before the coat is divided on the market square, the mayor becomes the mayor Dr. Stephan Keller presented the prizes in the town hall.
The customs of the Martinsfest go back well into the Middle Ages. This is certainly also due to the fact that the reputation of St. Martin reached from Franconia to Saxony in the 11th century. Churches, monasteries and hospitals chose him as their patron as early as the 5th century. Martin’s straightforward advocacy of Christianity may have contributed to this. The son of a pagan Roman officer, born in western Hungary in 316, was baptized at the age of 18. Before that, before Amiens, as a pagan out of mercy, he had shared his soldier’s cloak with a beggar. Soon after his baptism, Martin left the army and became a hermit. He lived in various monasteries and was finally elected Bishop of Tours in France around 370 against his will. 397 he is said to have died.
The Martinszug through Düsseldorf’s old town, which will take place for the 104th time in 2021, is in the directory of the immaterial NRW-Culture property has been included. This is a first step towards inclusion as a World Heritage Site.
–
