"Wielkopolanie" on Oktoberfest

On September 15, 2023, the Folk Group “Wielkopolanie” went on its 124th artistic trip to Germany to present the extremely rich folklore of our region and country during the International Folklore Festival “Etnointegracje” held as part of the Oktoberfest. The event was held under the patronage of the Generalkonsulat der Republik Polen in München/Consulate of the General of the Republic of Poland in Munich and the “Wspólnota Polska” Association.

During the participation in the folklore festival, the folk group of the Provincial Public Library and Cultural Animation Center in Poznań presented the dance and musical folklore of their region, Greater Poland and the country. During full-spectacle concerts and street parades, they presented dances and songs from Greater Poland: from the vicinity of Krobia and Domachów and the Szamotuły region, as well as other regions of Poland. “Wiwaty”, “Przodki”, “Równe” and waltzes were prepared and presented in the form of in crudo and artistic arrangements while maintaining the authentic instrumentation, i.e. the composition of the bands and choreographic forms. The presentations took place in traditional folk costumes

characteristic of a given subregion.

Residents of Germany and invited guests who came to Oktoberfest had the opportunity to learn about the characteristic traditional instruments of Greater Poland, such as: Greater Poland bagpipes, stringed violins, “sierszenki” and the white goat bagpipes. The musical pieces performed on them also served to show the richness of the Greater Poland tradition, not only of music but also of dance. Performances took place on stages and during street parades.

The origins of Oktoberfest, a hop harvest festival in Munich, date back to 1810 and take place annually at the turn of September and October. It is one of the largest folk festivals in the world, attracting several million tourists every year. In recent years, the average number of visitors has been over six million people.

Festivals called Oktoberfest were not uncommon in Bavaria. Their goal was to use up the beer from the passing brewing season before they started brewing new ones. The Munich Oktoberfest has over 200 years of tradition. Since 1887, Oktoberfest has traditionally begun with the Parade of Oktoberfest Hosts, a march of beautifully decorated wagons from seven breweries through the city to Theresienwiese. The pageant is led by the Münchner Kindl (pretty girl), the symbol of the city in many cultural events, followed by a horse-drawn carriage with the mayor of Munich. At noon, at 12:00, the mayor of the city officially starts Oktoberfest by popping the first barrel of beer in the Schottenhamel tent.

During this year’s beer festival, “Wielkopolanie” received the title of LAUREATE of the International Folklore Festival “Etnointegracje” under the honorary patronage of the Generalkonsulat der Republik Polen in München/Consulate of the General of the Republic of Poland in Munich and the “Wspólnota Polska” Association.

PK