Why the city hesitates with Kiliani cancellation

The Kiliani folk festival is still not canceled. The press office of the city of Würzburg had announced a press release for Wednesday afternoon. But after the current press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder, which was closely followed in the town hall, the city withdrew this announcement. While dealing with major events was the subject of the previous meeting between the Prime Ministers and the Chancellor, there were no statements – contrary to expectations from the city – at the press conference. And so the city is now waiting for a precise regulation by the Bavarian state government on major events, which is expected in the course of Thursday morning.

There are clearer signals from Munich. In the Ministry of Health, for example, it is hard to imagine that there will be a big festival in July – because that’s exactly what Kiliani is with over 800,000 visitors. A federal resolution, which is available to the dpa news agency, also clearly says that major events such as popular festivals, larger sporting events with spectators, larger concerts, festivals, village, street or shooting festivals and funfair events due to the corona pandemic are prohibited. Because of the still existing uncertainty of the infection process, it can be assumed that this will remain so at least until August 31, the paper goes on to say. Exactly this template was discussed today in Berlin.

The reason for the city’s reluctance are outstanding liability issues. Because the city has valid contracts with showmen, innkeepers and breweries, the administration would be legally vulnerable if canceled. But it is also clear that the city as the organizer must cancel. Only in the case of an order from the state government can it refer to the ban.

Other folk festivals have long been canceled

Other large folk festivals in Bavaria have meanwhile been canceled for some time. For example, the Rosenheim autumn festival. Between August 31 and September 15, around a million visitors were expected there, slightly more than at Kiliani in Würzburg. Here, however, the legal situation is different: the organizer is not the city as in Würzburg, but a private association that always receives the approval and obligation to host the event from the city for five years. “There are also voices who do not understand the cancellation, especially because it is still a long way off and may have been too hasty,” reports Klaus Hertreiter, Managing Director of the Rosenheim Economic Association. All in all, the organizers, the innkeepers, the showmen and the breweries were quick to agree on the cancellation of the autumn festival.

The Aschaffenburg Volksfest has also already been canceled. A statement on liability issues was not available from the city in the afternoon. As in Würzburg, the city of the organizers is here. There is still no decision in Schweinfurt either. The city is expecting a cancellation there, but the festival, which is scheduled for June 12-22, has definitely been canceled, but not yet. Bamberg’s Sandkerwa was also canceled at the original date in late August, but there is a catch-up date in September.

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• Wurzburg

• Schweinfurt

• Tim Eisenberger

• Bavarian Prime Minister

• Federal Chancellor of the FRG

• Chancellor Angela Merkel

• German press agency

• chancellor

• Kiliani

• Concerts and series of concerts

• Markus Söder

• Prime Minister

• Sandkerwa

• City of Wuerzburg

• Cities

• Aschaffenburg folk festival

• Folk festivals

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