The Struggle is Real: Medieval v. Modern Life

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the things that makes Munich so interesting is its adherence to tradition and its embrace of modernity. Every event is a reason to bring out the Lederhosen and Dirndl, until it starts to seem normal to see folks in their Trachten coordinating amongst themselves on cell phones.

High reverence for the past seems to be common throughout much of Bavaria. This past weekend I traveled to Landshut—about 60 km northeast of Munich—to witness the town’s Hochzeitfest.

The Landshuter Hochzeit is one of Europe’s largest medieval events. It celebrates the 1475 wedding of Georg the Rich of Bavaria-Landshut (a Wittelsbach) to Polish princess Hedwig Jagiellon.

Festival participants are not actors, but locals who must apply and be approved for their roles. (The bride and bridegroom must have been born in Landshut and be from noble families.)

I skipped the many accompanying activities and focused on the wedding procession. Since getting a good viewing spot was pretty competitive, it was nice to have wandering entertainment for those of us who arrived extra early (see video for a sample of pre-procession fun).

The Landshuter Hochzeit only happens once every four years. Among other things, that allows time for participants to grow their hair and beards to be more authentic. Talk about tradition!

The wedding procession was a phenomenal feat, and with 2,000 people taking part, it's obviously a significant cultural investment by the people of Landshut. 

Yes, that is a real falcon. There were also donkeys, some of the
most amazing horses I've ever seen, and a gaily decorated goat.

You can see the bride's wagon coming into view on the left.
Unfortunately, she was looking toward the other side of the street when it passed closest to me.

It was an amazing experience, and made me appreciate how people maintain ties to their roots. Which got me thinking about the flip side; mainly, an article I saw last month titled “Monument Warden Warns: Munich's Cityscape Is in Danger.” 

Living in Munich is a hot commodity. Real estate prices here are the highest in Germany, and despite already having the highest population density in the country, the city continues to be one of the fastest-growing destinations.

Lovely as it is, it's not practical to build--or even
sometimes maintain--a building like this in a modern world...

Such competition, especially in an increasingly global market, means more focus on modern efficiencies. 

The monument warden’s concerns were twofold: the destruction of the city’s architectural character, and a general dislike for the prevailing modern aesthetic.

Unfortunately, Munich has a high threshold for “monument” status for its buildings, so keeping the city’s character in mind is largely at the whim of developers.

Since Germany is one of the top 20 most populous countries, and the annual world population growth is at 80 million, eventually these kinds of concerns will trickle down to smaller communities that indulge their traditions, like Landshut.

In my previous life working for a land conservation nonprofit and as consultant to the EPA, I learned a lot about market pressures and the travails that come with urban redevelopment. Even with our relatively brief national history, the battle in U.S. cities between the past and the future mirrors what’s happening over here.

...But I’m not particularly interested in seeing generic buildings
like this one, either. Who wants to see Every Same City
on every continent? I think it’s our histories and
cultures that make our differences interesting!

I'll admit to a sentimental and outdated view of "the Old World" as, well, just that. In school we learn about the rich and romantic Europe of the past, and it's hard to think why anyone would want to walk away from that.

So I instantly sympathized with the monument warden's concerns. Although my wanderings in and around Munich explore the juxtaposition of past and present, what I'm really looking for are those links to history.

Sadly, I realize my view is not practical as populations grow and needs change. But I can’t help feeling that once these emblems of the past are gone, they’re gone, and we lose a tangible anchor to the customs, folklore, and lessons--good and bad--of our past.