TIMERIDEBlog
Work hard, party harder - A jousting tournament on Marienplatz
Knights’ tournaments are a typical phenomenon from the Middle Ages, aren’t they? What if I told you that even today you can still watch a jousting tournament in Munich twice a day? You probably wouldn’t believe me…
By Katharina Heinrich on 10.10.2024
It is true and it is not a re-enactment, a live action role play or a medieval fair. Every day at 11 a.m. and 12 noon, you can listen to the carillon and watch the re-enactment of the knights’ tournament of 1568 on Marienplatz next to the town hall in Munich. 32 figures of the carillon vividly show the battle, while the scenery is accompanied by 43 bells.
The spectacle of the century
While today’s celebrities fly to Sylt to get married and the event is televised for the masses, in the Middle Ages the nobility organized tournaments for the population in honour of their own wedding. Duke William V and Renata of Lorraine entertained their guests lavishly – for 18 days. When they married in February 1568, they started the festivities with a church wedding followed by a feast. After the feast, they danced long into the night until the bride and groom took their leave to consummate their marriage. The next day began with a mass before the bride and groom were presented with gifts from the thousands of guests. The next few days were a mix of masses, fencing exercises at court, stag and hare hunts, banquets with specially composed music, dance and theater performances, card and dice games and occasional fireworks. It is therefore not surprising that the spectacle in the Duchy of Bavaria (yes, not spelled with a “y” back then!) left a considerable hole in the budget with costs of around 200,000 thalers.
The crowning finale
The highlight of the festival weeks was a jousting tournament lasting several days, in which around 5000 riders took part. It was not only intended for the guests of the wedding, but also for the people of Munich, so the Marienplatz was filled with sand and a wooden wall was erected to separate the lanes. Not only did riders duel with lances, but there were also sword fights on the ground. The winners received a wreath adorned with flowers, jewels and gold. The tournament hero was – of course – a Bavarian knight in blue and white robes, who can still be seen today in the Munich carillon.
Katharina Heinrich
studied classical archaeology and history, which is why she is particularly interested in ancient for ancient cultures and the origin of of objects, buildings and concepts. and concepts. During various excavations, she has learned how important even the the smallest and most inconspicuous objects can be for the history of mankind.
