Whether it's Waterloo or Stalingrad, battle reenactments are booming. In Weimar, things are less bloody: There, the excerpts of parliamentarians from the National Assembly are replayed.
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From Waterloo to Stalingrad: When battles are fought anew
To see the advancement of Napoleon's troops or the defeat of the Germans in Stalingrad — reenactments make it possible. Famous battles are especially popular with the actors who bring these historical moments to life.
Image: picture-alliance/Dumont/P. Hirth
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Some 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire was at the height of its power. Its legionnaires were usually far superior to their opponents, but Germania resisted bitterly. In the year 9 A.D. the Romans were defeated by the prince of the Cherusci tribe Arminius (known in German as Hermann) and his men. Today one can relive the battle on the Roman and Germanic Days at the Kalkriese open-air museum.
Image: picture-alliance
Viking for a day
For one week of the year, Denmark's Moesgaard Museum allows you to become a real viking. You don't even need Scandinavian roots; the 300 or so amateur actors come from all over the world. You and your fellow vikings live in tents just like in the old days and gather by the campfire to drink mead. But the undisputed highlight for all participants are the battles between men.
Image: picture-alliance/imagebroker/K. Petersen
Battle of Tannenberg
The Teutonic Order saw itself as the successor of the Crusaders. In the Middle Ages it owned large estates in Eastern Europe and repeatedly fought the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for dominance in the Baltic region. In the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410, the Order suffered a severe defeat. Every year the victory is played out at this mythical place of remembrance for Poland.
Image: picture-alliance/Dumont/P. Hirth
Wallenstein Festival
Since 1980, one of the largest regular reenactments in the world has taken place every four years in Memmingen, Bavaria, with around 4,500 participants. Wallenstein, a commander who won many battles during the Thirty Years' War, brought peace to the region after reaching Memmingen in 1630 and setting up his court there. Instead of the battle turmoil, the era is reenacted with equestrian games.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Kreder
Battle of Leipzig
In the autumn of 1813, one of the largest and bloodiest battles in European history raged at the gates of Leipzig. Austrians, Prussians, Russians and Swedes brought the French army to a critical defeat, thereby breaking Napoleon's domination of Europe. On the 200th anniversary, around 6,000 amateur actors from 26 nations recreated the historical battle.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
Napoleon's Waterloo
In June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte tried to make a comeback and fought bitterly against the allied troops of England and Prussia for power in Europe at the village of Waterloo, south of Brussels. He was defeated and banished to the island of St. Helena. Every 10 years, citizens dressed in uniform from all over Europe revive the Battle of Waterloo — with great attention to detail.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
The Battle of Gettysburg
It was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War: From July 1 to 3 in 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought each other at Gettysburg. Some 50,000 were killed and wounded on both sides — for the Confederate States, it was the beginning of the end. The massacre was reenacted for the first time in 1913 on the 50th anniversary and today it is one of the most popular reenactments in the USA.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Gardner
Battle of Stalingrad
It is one of the most famous battles of the Second World War. The defeat of the German 6th Army in the winter of 1942/1943 is regarded as the turning point of the Nazi campaign against the Soviet Union. For decades the victory in Stalingrad has been celebrated with a military parade and the costumed reenactment of the battle has been part of the entertainment program since 2005.
Image: picture-alliance/RIA Novosti/K. Braga
War and Peace Revival
The multi-day event in Kent, England attracts around 100,000 visitors every year. It offers the world's largest array of military vehicles and reenactments from World War I to recent history. Here, a US helicopter crew shot down in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 fights for survival — fictitiously, of course.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/G. Fuller
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High on horseback, Napoleon Bonaparte inspects the front. Hundreds of his soldiers have taken up positions at the gates of Brussels. Opposite the French is the army of the English general Wellington. Again and again musket salvos and cannon shots thunder over the area.
A few hours later, the battle of Waterloo is over. The soldiers of both sides sit peacefully by the campfire. There were no deaths or injuries in 2019. Unlike in 1815, when many thousands of soldiers lost their lives in Waterloo..
In the uniform of the 'enemy'
Reenacting famous battles has become a booming activity. From the cannons to the uniform buttons, everything is as true to the original as possible. And even on the battlefield, people don't just shoot around; they strive for an authentic exchange of fire. But today, unlike 200 years ago, there are English people in French uniforms and Belgians or Germans in those of Wellington's troops.
Other re-enactments are similar: An Englishman may voluntarily put on a German SS uniform and fire from the trenches against his fellow countrymen. And in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, a German plays a Roman and an Italian a German.
There are many men and women who bring history back to life through historical processions and other events. However, historical battles are particularly popular throughout Europe, such as the Battle of Waterloo or Stalingrad. And in the US, they prefer to portray the battles of the American civil war between northern and southern states. The famous Battle of Gettysburg, in which Confederate General Robert E. Lee was beaten by his opponent in 1863, was reenacted 50 years later for the first time.
From the battlefield to the home front
In England the "War and Peace Revival" festival takes place every year. Around 4,000 military vehicles from World War I to high-tech vehicles from recent history get the hearts of military fans racing — as do the various reenactments of battles from this period. Around 100,000 visitors follow the spectacle. And the event would not have the word "Peace" in its name if peaceful scenes from the home front were not also depicted. Visitors can immerse themselves in the year 1943 and watch the wives of the soldiers in their everyday life in the village or stop in at a tea dance.
A fantasy version of historical events?
In addition to the countless associations that deal with the authentic reenactment of historical events in their spare time, there are also commercial reenactment groups that perform in front of an audience on various occasions, such as at medieval markets. Particularly in the US and UK, tourism associations often use costumed actors to illustrate historical events to the public.
The historian Ulrike Jureit explains in an essay that the fascination for reenactments is linked with the "magic of authenticity" and the emotional and sensual experience. But she also points out that the reenactment of historical events is a rather "suspect form of memory." Identifying oneself with historical figures does not automatically mean that a historical event — despite all honest efforts — is also represented correctly.
Specialist historians often complain that reenactments lack scientific basis and historical depth. Players often resort to fantasy films and series for inspiration when reenacting events long past, including medieval battles.
Firsthand experience of history
The players in reenactments couldn't care less about such criticism, they enjoy what they do. Experiencing history up close, for instance at the many medieval markets and historical processions, has become very popular in Germany. Reenacting battles on German soil and celebrating German commanders or generals is not common, however — also due to the fact that the Germans are sensitive in view of the most recent past.
So reenacting on August 21 and 22 the parliamentarians' 1919 exodus from the constituent National Assembly was a peaceful affair at the Kunstfest Weimar art festival, marking a day of iconic pictures of parliamentarians gathered on the stairs and balcony of the National Theater.