Prefer to do dancing as a holiday in the Caribbean

The Schäffler take a lot to see all seven years of their dances. A Visit To.

On a Tuesday evening, it is about 21.15, on the balconies, in the distance, lights, light chains, barrel, Stefan Schmid, on a wooden. He is are interconnected together, then 25 years old, wearing a full beard, a red hoodie, a pair of Jeans, solid beige winter boots and shouts: "Griaß eich." "Stop. You have to silently greet", says one by the name of Stefan, but arbitration Meier surname, which is a good 20 years older, grey hair combed back with lots of Gel. He's not on any barrel, but in front of it on the ground, wet from melted snow. "Silent?", asks the Younger. "Silent," repeats the Older one, and does so, as he would pull out of a hat. Straight he stands there, stomach in, chest out, chin looks slightly upwards, the view to the front, very proud. And Stefan Schmid on the wooden barrel to do it.

6. January to greet the two Stefans, alternately, for six weeks, at the times of the day so - in elementary schools, in old people's homes, to birthdays and corporate events, in backyards and in public spaces, from green forest to the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. They occur everywhere with the Munich schäffler dancers - Schmid first, arbitration Meier for the third Time. And the Salute is likely to be in your role is probably the easiest Part: As tires transducer you need to swirl the two white-and-blue-painted wood rings, in which small filled with wine glasses, through the air. And at the end of the content to land not on the coats of the spectators, but in their mouths.

With brass.

The legend, the authenticity of which, however, in doubt, should have listed the Schäffler dance for the first Time following a plague epidemic in 1517. Those who had survived, have not dared to from their homes. The Coopers ' you shall have your dance back on the streets lured. Every seven years they lead him ever since - because the plague came back supposedly every seven years, and because the number Seven is considered a lucky number.

The schäffler dance so it is one of the oldest traditions of Munich, and perhaps of the last certainties in a city, the call, although many village, but in the every year thousands of people from all over the world, each week a new pub, a new Shop, a new Start-up. In this fast-paced world of the Coopers dance always remains the same: men with knee high white socks, red vests and green hat lift at the same time, the knees have to sit next to each other and away from each other and arc-shaped wreaths. A puppet painted stroke the audience with a Coal, a tyre, the transducer vibrates the wood tire. A brass band plays a March.

There are no new routines, no new music, no women. "A Yes is still Yes and a no, no," says Stefan Weiler, 47 years old, electrician. That you could rely on them, belong to the "code of honor" of the Coopers. Virtues are important to him, could take part only, who have a white vest - "like our shirts". Earlier schäffler journeyman with danced just so, the young men who were training to be a Barrel maker. Because less and less of wood barrels are used and, therefore, less and less men learn this profession, must, in the meantime, join all who want to. The Munich dancers are between 20 and 55 years old, professional craftsmen, it specialists, technicians, train drivers. Whether, then, one day women are allowed to dance? "A woman's quota in the schäffler dance I can not imagine now", says Stefan Schmid. "It was always just men," says Stefan Weiler. In the Tradition, and to preserve, therefore, that the schäffler dance, after all.

It is an honor that old Tradition alive

Twice a week, since the Oktoberfest is coming to an end, samples of the men in the backyard in the West of Munich, surrounded by residential buildings, some ten stories high. Here are the workshop of Willy Schmid, the head of the last barrel factory is located in the Region, Chairman of the Munich schäffler Association. While outside, the men in thick, dark winter coats, a lot of lifting with hats or headbands on the head, to the marching music of the Truderinger marching band in step with your knee, he sits in his workshop, and organized appointments.

Five of his employees, he is free for the performances of six weeks. "I don't dance - somebody has to hold the Load still on the Run," he says. Because many employers are no longer willing to give their Employees the time off, he must always occupy more roles twice. Difficulties to find enough people, he but never. Customs, Tradition, experience, maybe just even on a lift, he says. "The Oktoberfest is almost all of them have at least re-dress. 20 years ago, that was different." Still, Why beat the men in a backyard the evening of the ears? Why take you for a dance so long that you could make in the time for a Caribbean vacation?

Because it is an honour for him to receive a so old Tradition alive, says Michael Zehetbauer - an answer that one gets is so similar to that of many. The 33-Year-old chimney sweep and plays the punch and Judy show. As the Coopers ' occurred seven years ago, after he drove them, as often as it was. Earlier he had watched every game of FC Bayern and 2012, a total of 108 schäffler dances to him a spoke, if he wanted to join. "Maybe," he says, "I'm a little bit crazy." And so it is not in the Schäfflern only him: Alexander Meier, 53, a driver with a mustache, drives for the samples twice a week from peißenberg to Munich, 60 miles. During the time in which the Schäffler occur, he sleeps at a friend's house.

"My wife sees me maybe once a week." He had never regretted to be part of it - even if he eats cakes in these six weeks, mainly of Sausages, each Time the ten pounds of decreases, towards the end of always against colds fights against the "Bus-Koller" - because the city travelled to every show in a tour bus. "And what happens in this Bus," says Alexander Meier, "remains in the Bus." He sounds a bit conspiratorial, and you understand: as is the case with the boys clubs and the Oktoberfest is probably the Schäfflern in addition to the Tradition to the fun.