Unique and worth seeing in Weisenheim am Berg

The Stutzenfest - naturalisation of a special kind

Unique to Weisenheim am Berg is the annual so-called "Stutzenfest", where new citizens are accepted into the village community through a special ceremony. The custom was already known in the 8th century and was revived by the Weisenheim pastor Otmar Fischer in the 20th century.

On this day, which is always the Sunday before Martini, the new fellow citizens have to slip into historical garments to be "gestutzed". According to old tradition, they have to bring a hat with nuts, a plate of hand cheese, a loaf of bread and 12 litres of wine and donate them. The process itself consists of the new citizens being placed on a stone and "stumped" three times so that they will fit into the place afterwards.
After extensive tasting by the councillors, the wine, of which there will hopefully be some left afterwards, is served as a free toast to the spectators who watch the process attentively.