Luxembourg's Schueberfouer is celebrating its 684th birthday this year. Historian Steve Kayser reflects on the country's biggest summertime tradition, providing details about its evolution through the ages.
Centuries on, Schueberfouer continues to attract thousands of people every year with its attractions, rides, food stands, and pop-up bars. It has the honour of being the biggest funfair in Luxembourg and the Greater Region. In reflecting on the country's nearly 700-year-old tradition, RTL's Chris Meisch met with historian Steve Kayser on the Glacis Square.
Founded in 1340 by John the Blind, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg, the Schueberfouer originally took place on the Plateau du Saint-Esprit. However, as the fair became more popular, it soon outgrew its original location and moved to Limpertsberg. Following the urbanisation of Limpertsberg, the fair was relocated to the Glacis Square, where it continues to be celebrated each year.
Historian Steve Kayser elaborates further on the fair's evolution: "The Schueberfouer began as an annual market during the Middle Ages, with Luxembourgish wine being one of the primary products sold. Over time, the fair's focus began to shift.
By the 17th century, the event's commercial function started to diminish, giving way to entertainment. This may also explain the tradition of the Hämmelsmarsch [editor's note: local fanfare bands marching through the villages of Luxembourg]. This transition became more pronounced in the 18th and 19th centuries, with entertainment increasingly becoming more important and the market function fading into the background."
It's been quite a journey from a medieval market where people and animals congregated to a fair where the biggest transportable rides are assembled in one location. Kayser describes how the fair has mirrored societal changes over time: "The focus has always been on entertainment, and this has significantly developed over the centuries. The increasing demand for novelty, such as performers and exotic animals, reflects a broader societal curiosity and desire for new experiences." The Schueberfouer has always been an event for new and exciting attractions; diversity is one of its key characteristics.
To Kayser, the Schueberfouer represents a multicultural melting pot, and he highlights the value of showmen in its evolution - without whom the fair would cease to exist. The event evolved as these vendors and performers saw an opportunity to make a living, enticing the fair to transition beyond a market where people simply gathered to trade.
These vendors entertained people with acrobatic acts, clown performances, artistic numbers, and exhibitions of exotic animals. Gambling, while controversial, was also part of the early fanfare. As the market function faded, what remained was entertainment, which became entrenched in the fair's history.
However, there is a growing nostalgia for the simplicity and charm of historical fairs. While some key takeaway words here are nostalgia and vintage - Kayser, as a historian, hesitates before making any predictions about the future of Luxembourg's Schueberfouer.
