Bavaria: Augsburg celebrates a unique peace holiday in times of crisis

Augsburg is traditionally the German record holder for the number of public holidays.

Bavaria: Augsburg celebrates a unique peace holiday in times of crisis

Augsburg is traditionally the German record holder for the number of public holidays. The reason for this is the municipal peace festival. Given the war in Ukraine, this is particularly relevant this year.

Augsburg (dpa/lby) - Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the city of Augsburg is again celebrating its nationwide unique peace holiday today. The Augsburg High Peace Festival has been an official public holiday since 1950, when shops and offices in Augsburg remain closed. Meanwhile, shops from the surrounding area often use the day to lure additional customers from the city of 300,000 to go shopping.

Due to the Peace Day, the Swabian city has the most public holidays in Germany. Traditionally, the peace table on the town hall square is the highlight of the holiday. The citizens share food and drinks they have brought from home at long rows of tables (11.30 a.m.).

The city holiday on August 8 goes back to the year 1650, when the Protestants in Augsburg first celebrated their equality with the Catholic Church, formulated in the Peace of Augsburg (1555) and achieved in the Peace of Westphalia (1648). The public holiday is always accompanied by a large cultural program. The Ukraine war was often the focus of attention.