Bergkirchweih Intangible cultural heritage

The Erlangen Bergkirchweih has been included in the State Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The city of Erlangen sees this as a great honor and as confirmation of the special cultural significance of the traditional festival.

With over 270 years of history, the Bergkirchweih is considered the oldest beer festival in the world. The unique tradition of the "Berch" is based on

• the historic beer culture
• the listed cellar houses and
• the rock cellars, some of which are over a hundred meters deep -

to name just the most important examples. A strong and convincing application could be developed on this special foundation.

Preserving the character of the festival in the future

"Inclusion in the national directory is a special recognition for our Bergkirchweih and all those who have brought it to life for generations," emphasizes "Berg" consultant Konrad Beugel. "At the same time, it is an incentive and a mandate to preserve the historical character of this festival in the future."

Application with broad cooperation

The impetus for the application came in particular from the circle of cellar keepers and showmen. The application was submitted under the leadership of the Bergflair ERhalten e. V. association, in close cooperation with the city, consultants, the Königlich privilegierte Hauptschützengesellschaft Erlangen and cellar landlords. "This broad cooperation was decisive for the high quality of the application," says Beugel. The exchange with the city of Fürth, whose Michaelis-Kirchweih has been listed in the directory since 2018, also provided valuable information.

"In addition to the volunteers in the Bergflair ERhalten association, special thanks go to the former employees of the city administration, the former head of the city archives, Dr. Andreas Jakob, and Jochen Buchelt, beer expert at the local history association, who were instrumental in guiding and supporting the application process," says Beugel.

National visibility of the Bergkirchweih strengthened

Inclusion in the directory will further strengthen the supra-regional visibility of the Bergkirchweih. The city of Erlangen will make targeted use of the award to promote the festival. In a few weeks, the Bergkirchweih 2026 will begin - for the first time with the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Making the knowledge and skills of everyday culture visible worldwide

UNESCO has been focusing on intangible cultural expressions since 2003. The aim is to make traditional knowledge and skills, which are an essential part of everyday culture, visible worldwide and to support measures for their preservation and further development. To date, 185 countries have acceded to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Germany has been a state party since 2013. In addition to the nationwide list of intangible cultural heritage, Bavaria has its own state list.

(Photo: City archive - Bergkirchweih in the 1920s)