February 13th, 2024 - from 10:00 a.m. - The famous market women in the carnival hustle and bustle at the Viktualienmarkt
The dance of the market women is the highlight of the Munich carnival
Their robes are museum-worthy and are a piece of Munich's cultural history
Munich. Shrove Tuesday, February 13, 2024: “Dance of the Market Women” (they insist on this choice of words). Anyone who has ever seen or experienced the lively women in their colorful robes will be thrilled. The dance of the market women from the Viktualienmarkt has been taking place in Munich for over 100 years. It was brought into being to polish up the reputation of the “gruntling market women” - at that time and until the 1980s they danced at their market stalls - the honey woman and her colleagues. This tradition has been continued on a stage on Shrove Tuesday for over 30 years. They perform on the last day of carnival at 10 a.m. Each year. In any weather. Then they float across the stage at the Viktualienmarkt in their colorful costumes, which surprise every year. They dance and laugh their way into the hearts of the audience. The costumes of the dancing market women from the Viktualienmarkt have long been museum-worthy and, like the ladies themselves and their performance on Shrove Tuesday, are a piece of Munich's cultural history.
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| Dance of the market women on stage, Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Photo: Helga Waess (press archive) |
You should come early and secure the best seats at the front of the stage, because it's going to be a long morning...
It all starts at 9:30 a.m. on the stage in the beer garden: carnival hustle and bustle, Narrhalla warm-up
- The official program begins at 10:00 a.m. when Mayor Dominik Krause and municipal officer Kristina Frank, the official city representatives, welcome all guests.
- Then first come the Munich prince couple with the dancing guard of the Narrhalla.
- At 11:00 a.m. Kristina Frank will ask the market women to perform their dances.
- The cult song “Wagen from Line 8” is at the beginning and then new dances come.
- After a lively musical feast, carnival is celebrated at all stands and in the city center until the evening (around 7 p.m.).
Please note: do not bring glass bottles or glasses with you.
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| Dance of the market women, Viktualienmarkt Munich, photo; Helga Waess |
The stars of the Munich carnival: The Dancing Market Women
The Viktualienmarkt produced them. The stars of the Munich carnival: The Dancing Market Women. They have long been an established concept beyond Munich. People have heard about them as far as Japan and all of Germany knows them from the TV news at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on ZDF and ARD.
And like any decent sports group, they also have a battle cry:
One calls out: “How samma?”
Everyone: “Good samma!”
One: “What samma?”
Everyone: “Market women! My sans are great for me!”
Dancing at the Viktualienmarkt on Shrove Tuesday - you should be there when the business women from the Viktualienmarkt dance, because the dancing market women from the Viktualienmarkt are world famous...
Shrove Tuesday 10 a.m., Viktualienmarkt in Munich
And even Mayor Dieter Reiter will be there again and take part. The Munich-based Merkur Online was there and showed a live stream of the dance of the market women (here is the link: Live-Stream zum Tanz der Marktweiber
The dancing market women are one of Munich's annual cultural events
Every year there are many rehearsals before the dance. During the dance rehearsal before the big performance, you experience pure joy of life and unconditional discipline - even if it was a long, hard day at the market. As soon as dance teacher Christian Langer, choreographer and ADTV dance teacher (Dance School Neubeck), clapped his hands, the day is forgotten and the big performance takes center stage.
Just as Bavaria embodies Bavaria, these market women represent the Viktualienmarkt and each represent their focus:
At the dance on Shrove Tuesday, everyone uses their dress to represent what they are selling. There are also accessories, such as the green garlands for the bow dance. Here you will find flowers for the flower women, pieces of cheese for the cheese women and so on.
There are new clothes every year. They just agree on the colors to make it colorful. Some market women have sewn their own clothes or have a tailor on site. In the end, all the costumes were always ready for the dress rehearsal. As the honey woman once said during a rehearsal:
There are new clothes every year. They just agree on the colors to make it colorful. Some market women have sewn their own clothes or have a tailor on site. In the end, all the costumes were always ready for the dress rehearsal. As the honey woman once said during a rehearsal:
„Ja, ja! Fasching ist irgendwie wie Weihnachten, plötzlich und unerwartet ist es wieder so weit. Und dann muss das Kleid halt fertig werden. In der letzten Nacht."
translated
"Yes / Yes! Carnival is somehow like Christmas, suddenly and unexpectedly it's that time again. And then the dress just has to be finished. Last night."
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| Dance in the robes from 2014, photo Helga Waess |
All dance clothes will be kept. The many stories surrounding this carnival tradition make us think:
It would be nice if we could initiate an exhibition in the costume department of the Munich City Museum.
The “market women”, as they like to call themselves, would also be actively involved in this with heart and soul and would be happy to provide loans; or even add it to the museum collection.
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| Enchanting robes with traditional Standl motifs such as flowers, fruit, cheese etc., Photo: Helga Waess (archive) |
Professional choreography by Christian Langer
Christian Langer choreographs the “Dance of the Market Women” in their colorful and cheerful clothes. In this way the dance teacher has realized himself. With his passion for dance, he and his market women inspire thousands of visitors every year.
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| “The dancing market women” Photo: Helga Waess |
Further information was published in a book about the market women. Here is the link to the Marktweiber homepage.
Let's look forward to next year and to Shrove Tuesday, when the call of the market women echoes across the Viktualienmarkt:
“How samma?”
“Good samma!”
What samma?”
“Market women! My sans are great for me!"
Film contributions from previous years
ALL TV CHANNELS WERE IN FILMS:
BAVARIAN RUNDFUNK: "Carnival in Munich. Dance of the market women on the Viktualienmarkt", February 17, 2015, 4:45 p.m., Bavarian television
Here is the link to the BR media library with the VIDEO for TANZ der MARKET WOMEN = TANZ der MARKTFRAUEN
BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK: "Dance of the market women With fluttering skirts into the carnival final spurt", February 17th, 2015, 2:00 p.m., BR.de, 1 min.
Here is the link to the BR media library with the VIDEO = Mediathek des BR mit dem VIDEO
MUNICH,TV: And in Munich TV with Mayor Dieter Reiter in tram number 8 and
the market woman “with flowing skirts and crazy hats”
Here is the link to the article in München.tv = Beitrag in München.tv
BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK: "Evening show of the BR Shrove Tuesday. Celebrations in Bavaria"
February 17, 2015, 6:00 p.m., Bavarian Television, 2 min.
- including the dance of the market women = Tanz der Marktfrauen
