Alternative programme during the pandemic Replacement plans for the Duisdorf fair

Duisdorf · The Duisdorf fair has been cancelled this year. The local festival committee wants to put together a replacement programme. Some of the traditional events can still take place.

 The Duisdorf fair cannot take place this year.

The Duisdorf fair cannot take place this year.

Foto: Horst Müller

The smell of roasted almonds should be wafting across Rochusstraße and loud music should be blasting from the carousels. Should be. But life has completely changed since the outbreak of the pandemic. Local associations have also been affected. Like so many events, the Duisdorf fair, which has been held at the beginning of September for decades, has had to be cancelled due to corona. Nevertheless, the local festival committee does not want to completely strike the traditional festival from the calendar. “This year we are simply celebrating in a different way,” says Bernd Schmidt, chairman of the local festival committee.

The Hahneköppen tradition will not be taking place, nor will the early morning drinks. Nevertheless, the association wants to hold the event on a much smaller scale, calling it a ‘Kirmes light’. This will include a church service, a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial and a procession through the local streets. “However, it is important that we strictly observe the 3-G corona regulations at all the events,” Schmidt emphasises.

The church service will take place on Sunday, 5 September, at 10 a.m. in the St. Augustinus Church (Gottfried-Kinkel-Straße). All attendees must wear an FFP-2 mask whilst seated during the service. The chancel is so large that the flag delegations from the Duisdorf associations can march up to the altar whilst maintaining social distancing.

The people of Duisdorf will then walk in procession from the church to the memorial at the Old Cemetery. A wreath will be laid there in memory of the deceased and the victims of the pandemic and the terrible flood disaster.

Köttzug should be preserved

The traditional Köttzug procession will also be preserved. On both Saturday (4 September) and Monday (6 September), the local festival committee will parade through the streets with music and banners to raise money. The meeting point is at Europaplatz, 10 a.m. on Saturday. On Monday, the troop will line up at 2.45 p.m. in front of the Wilhelmine-Lübke-Haus. The event will end at around 7.30 pm on Europaplatz. The aim of the Köttzug procession is to raise money for the ‘Afternoon for Duisdorf Seniors’ (planned for 4 December). In addition, the local associations want to give some of the donations to the flood victims along the Ahr and Swist rivers.

And what fate awaits the Zacheies this year? Normally the symbolic figure is burnt at the end of the fair on Europaplatz. Traditionally, before the burning, the trial takes place, where the Zacheies has to answer for various offences (such as hitting a donkey, burning down a sign, and diverting water at the Schützenhaus). However, in the second year of the pandemic, even this traditional figure must abide by the contact restrictions. And so the Zacheies will remain in quarantine for another year and will not be allowed out again until the next fair. Then he will probably be able to hope in vain for mercy and receive his just punishment.

Bernd Schmidt remains optimistic despite the various restrictions. “I'm sure we'll have a good time in the current conditions,” he says, and is already venturing a look ahead to 2022. “Next summer we will be able to celebrate again on a larger scale. If everyone plays by the rules this time, together we will make the best of the situation.” (Original text: Gabriele Immenkeppel, Translation: Caroline Kusch)

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