Maibaum - Kempenich, Rheinland-Pfalz / Germany
N 50° 25.154 E 007° 07.266
32U E 366523 N 5586932
At the former trailstation in Kempenich stands a 'Maibaum' (May Tree) . It can be visited through the May of each year.
Waymark Code: WMYET3
Location: Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Date Posted: 06/06/2018
Views: 1
Wikipedia contributors. (2018, June 5). Maypole. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:45, June 7, 2018, from (
visit link)
"In Germany and Austria the maypole (or Maibaum is a tradition going back to the 16th century. It is a decorated tree or tree trunk that is usually erected either on 1 May – in Baden and Swabia – or on the evening before, for example, in East Frisia. In most areas, especially in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Austria, it is usual to have a ceremony to erect the maypole on the village green. The custom of combining it with a village or town fete, that usually takes place on 30 April, 1 May or at Pentecost (Whitsun), is widespread. This tradition is especially strong in the villages of the Bavarian Alps where the raising of the traditional maypole on 1 May in the village square is a cause for much celebration. The pole is usually painted in the Bavarian colours of white and blue and decorated with emblems depicting local crafts and industry.
Just before the Maibaum is erected, depending on the region, there may be a procession through the village, usually ending up at a central place and/or restaurant and usually watched by crowds of spectators and accompanied by a brass band. The actual installation of the tree then takes place in the afternoon or evening. While the crowds usually while away the time drinking beer and eating sausages, the young men busy themselves with decorating the maypole to get the symbols of various trades representing the region into the right position. While the maypole is traditionally set up with the help of long poles, today it may sometime also be done using tractors, forklifts or even cranes. In Lower Austria ropes and ladders are used.
In the Rhineland in and around Cologne, there exists a somewhat different maypole tradition. During the night before the 1st of May, unmarried men erect young birch trees in front of the houses of their sweethearts. These trees, which may reach five metres of height or more, are sold beforehand by local foresters. The men usually decorate them with multicoloured crepe paper and often with a red heart of wood with the name of the girl written on it. During the month of May, many streets in the area are filled with dozens of such maypoles.
If the tree is erected on the eve of 1 May, then the event is usually followed by a May dance or Tanz in den Mai. Depending on local custom, the Maibaum may remain in place all year round or may be taken down at the end of May. The trunk is then stored until the following year (unless the maypole is an actual felled tree).