Joint press release by the municipality of Rüdersdorf bei Berlin and Museums- und Kultur GmbH Rüdersdorf
Press release no. 2021/12:
In 2021, the Bergfest in the municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin will be cancelled. The next edition of Brandenburg's oldest folk festival will take place from 1 to 3 July 2022.
In view of the still uncertain pandemic situation and the lack of planning certainty, the municipality of Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, the Museums- und Kultur GmbH Rüdersdorf and the Bergbauverein Rüdersdorf 1990 e.V. have decided with a heavy heart to cancel the Bergfest again this year. The event was already cancelled last year.
Mayor Sabine Löser explains the cancellation: " I deeply regret that we have to do without our Bergfest again this year. Every year, the Bergfest attracts people from near and far to Rüdersdorf - the miners' procession with lights and the concert by the mountain band are the highlights that many people in Rüdersdorf look forward to all year round. But we are looking ahead and will prepare all the more intensively for the upcoming Bergfest."
Regardless of the cancellation that has now become necessary, the Managing Director of Museums- und Kultur GmbH Rüdersdorf, Prof. Dr Frank Schaal, is optimistic about the future. Depending on possible further easing of restrictions, various event formats have already been prepared that can be organised in compliance with the coronavirus requirements. The Managing Director of Museums- und Kultur GmbH Rüdersdorf, Prof. Dr Frank Schaal, explains: "We will implement some formats. But only open air. I assume that we will be able to enter a more or less normal phase from mid-July, although we will also have to reckon with restrictions in terms of the number of possible visitors. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to a season with great events such as the museum nights, the family day and our Rüdersdorf KulturZeit."
Both the members of the Bergbauverein Rüdersdorf 1990 e.V. and the Bergkapelle Rüdersdorf e.V. usually spend months preparing for the Bergfest by rehearsing and rehearsing a varied programme to delight the guests of the Bergfest every year. The Chairman of the Rüdersdorf Mining Association, Steffen Zwickirsch, explains: "The mining festival in 1841, on the occasion of Friedrich Wilhelm IV's visit to Rüdersdorf, marked the start of a long-standing tradition of honouring and paying tribute to the mining profession. In the following years, miners' festivals and mining festivals were held until 1939. The mining association has continued the tradition and has organised the opening event of the annual mining festival since 1991. This emphasises the role of limestone mining in Rüdersdorf in terms of its importance for the development of the city of Berlin, the state of Brandenburg and beyond. We are full of hope that we can continue to contribute to Rüdersdorf's mining tradition in the future."
The mining festival takes place every year on the 1st weekend in July. Rüdersdorf also has a long mining tradition. The first evidence of local limestone mining dates back to 1254, lime has been burned in the town for around 400 years and cement has been produced for around 130 years.