150 liters of red wine in his luggage: Martensmann on the road again
The Martensmann is on the road again. His mission: to bring a barrel of red wine from Lübeck to Schwerin. With a two-horse carriage and 150 liters of red wine in his luggage, he made his way from Lübeck to the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Friday. He is expected there on Sunday. According to the city of Schwerin, the "Martensmarkt", a medieval-style festival, will be held there in his honor.
On his way through Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, he traditionally also stops off in the small towns of Schönberg and Reha (both in the district of Nordwestmecklenburg). There, too, there are sweets for the children and wine for the adults.
In Schwerin, too, preparations for the Martensmann's reception have long since begun. On Sunday, he will hand over the barrel of Lübeck Rotspon to a representative of the city of Schwerin.
The custom of the Martensmann is centuries old. Around 500 years ago, he is said to have made his way from Lübeck to the Duke of Schwerin for the first time - with wine in his luggage as a token of friendship to the sovereign and his subjects. The custom died out in 1817 and was revived in 1991 on the initiative of the then Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, Björn Engholm (SPD). Since then, the state capital of Schwerin has celebrated the reception of the Martensmann with a fair every year. In 2020, the custom was added to the nationwide list of intangible cultural heritage.
The custom of the Martensmann, with its centuries-old history, involves bringing a barrel of wine from Lübeck, as Martensmann does now with 150 liters in his luggage. During his journey, he traditionally stops in towns like Schönberg and Reha, offering treats for children and wine for adults.
Source: www.dpa.com
