In the case of intangible cultural heritage, the focus is on the people involved who, as a community or group, practise the cultural expressions, develop them further and pass them on to the next generation. But which communities and groups are involved, how are the knowledge and skills debated, who says what to do and how to do it properly? Who belongs, who participates – and who does not? How does the sharing of knowledge and skills create a sense of community?
The cultural diversity in Bavaria is supported by very different communities and groups: clubs, associations and cooperatives, but also local groups and communities of interest. Some are structured by statutes, others organise themselves more informally.
Culture heirs were and are often networked across regions as groups or communities. Many cultural expressions reach beyond the borders of Bavaria and Germany.
Bobbin lace making was introduced in the Upper Palatinate Forest around 1900. Specific knowledge of the craft developed in the region through the establishment of bobbin lace schools to promote a possible supplementary source of income for women and children. When bobbin lace making no longer produced a financial return in the course of the 20th century due to mechanised production and global competition, bobbin lace making in the Upper Palatinate developed into a popular leisure activity, often practised together in groups. They are also integrated into a Europe-wide network of bobbin lace makers.
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Today, bobbin lace makers are mostly loosely organised. In bobbin lace making circles, knowledge and skills are passed on within the groups through courses, workshops and exhibitions. These mostly female circles are organised by a few key people who are also committed to passing on the cultural heritage to a younger generation. Museums are also keen to showcase the artfully crafted lace and the cultural significance.
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The annual Wunsiedler Brunnenfest, which always takes place towards the end of June, is preceded by preparatory work in the so-called fountain communities. Together they design the fountain decorations, pick and provide the flowers, tie wreaths and garlands. The more than thirty water dispensers in the city are decorated just before the festive day or on the day itself.
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Initially, the fountain communities were rather loosely connected to the fountains through the neighbourhood. Since the 1970s, the groups have increasingly been organised and represented by clubs, schools and other institutions. In 2018, they decorated 36 fountains in the city. It is about community interaction, but also about competing for the most beautiful fountain.
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The selling and buying of food and plants at Munich’s Viktualienmarkt is literally the centre of people’s everyday business. Every working day, traders, customers and guests form a diverse community. A market culture of its own has developed in the middle of the historical centre. It also includes the market women’s dance on Shrove Tuesday, which is an annual highlight of Munich’s carnival and attracts many visitors.
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The "Kinderzeche" in Dinkelsbühl involves over 1,000 participants who perform for numerous visitors. In addition to the actual play, the festivities also include processions, dance performances and the activities surrounding the school festivals. The latter are the historical core of the festival. All together they combine to form a festive community that is of great importance for the medium-sized town and the region.
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Such regularly recurring events are often a special date for a local community, which is associated with its own calendar, structuring the year. It is a local and regional social fixture. It is then often referred to as a “fifth season” and many who have moved away drop in again for the occasion.
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According to legend, the "Kötztinger Pfingstritt" is based on a medieval vow and has been documented since the middle of the 17th century. The procession creates a community for the riders and the town. In 2004, a bishop’s decree turned it into a Eucharistic procession again, after an interruption of 135 years. The women are involved in the festivities in many ways, for example they decorate the horses and take care of the guests. In addition to the pilgrimage cavalcade, the Pentecost celebrations also include the Pentecost Wedding and other festivities open to locals and guests.
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In the years of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the group supporting the "Pfingstritt" grappled with the question of how at least the annual vow, the heart of their intangible cultural heritage, could be organised under the conditions of bans on festivities and social distancing. The solution was to radically limit the participants: just three people became representatives for everyone else usually involved in the two years and upheld the vow commitment through their "Pfingstritt".
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The Danube represents an important transport axis along which also fashions and knowledge migrated. The "Linz gold bonnet" came to the Passau region along this route in the 18th century. Specialised milliners and bonnet makers made this element of a festive costume for women. As fashions changed, gold bonnets almost completely disappeared and were only worn on rare occasions.
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Since the 1970s, the knowledge of gold bonnet embroidery has been collected again by committed people. Through joint embroidery courses in Passau and Linz, they have succeeded in inspiring women to make gold bonnets as a do-it-yourself activity and to wear them. To this day, this has given rise to a new, cross-border community whose members exchange ideas about the finer points of production and wear the golden headdress on festive occasions.
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To the exhibition unit: InheritingCulture – negotiating
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