What is happening in Osnabrück? Maiwoche!

Osnabrück is called "the city of peace" due to its will to make cohexist in a very welcoming atmosphere people from different cultures. One of its initiatives to improve this environment is the festival Maiwoche. From the 4th to the 14th of May, the city of Osnabruck has hosted this event, at its 45th edition this year. We always talk about Germany like the country wherein integration of different people represents a key-point of Federal States and national government. Maiwoche speaks exactly this language. This big event was created in 1972 in order to promote culture and give a proper welcome to spring season.

Above all, Osnabrück government believed in the connecting power of initiatives like this one which always call in the same place both local and international people. The age of participants is not a matter: everyone is highly welcomed to join this big festival. Maiwoche is a ten days of music events, cultural initiatives, carousels, and fun displaced along the streets of the city center. According to the Office of Marketing and Tourism, this year Maiwoche registered about 800'000 visitors, an absolute record for this city which is a link between Northern-Westfalia and Lower-Saxony. The good weather was a necessary help for the excellent results achieved by this festival, which is a local way to welcome finally the good seasons. The strenghtpoints of this Festival were of course the variety of concerts offered during these days: from rock to country music, from pop to indie music and much more. Each local or national band had the opportunity to exhibit delighting adults, youngs and children. In every corner of both modern center and old town, street food was served offering a very wide and multicultural choice: from Thai-food to the traditional curry-wurst, from Italian pizza to the more classic champignons. All the tend days of Maiwoche were necessary just to taste every food or drink offered along the streets or in the Dom Square. Also the traditional Maibowle, a summer drink with strawerries, cinnamon, white wine and champagne, was served at every drinking spot.

Moreover, this year on of the festival's day was the 9th of May, day dedicated to celebrate Europe. The city of Osnabruck, for the whole time of Maiwoche, decorated a street with the flags of  all the states which belong to the European Union. A sign of respect and belief in Europe and in its project of "common and shared values". Indeed, the multicultural atmosphere was perceived during the whole Maiwoche due also to initiatives whose aimed was to make local people get to know culture and languages spoken by who here is a foreigner. Other cultural events included city tours by night and info-points organized by associations such as EXIL, whose aim is of helping refugees and migrants. Aside that, Maiwoche included stands of local shops and designers selling homemade products, such as artisan jewelry, t-shirts, or dolls.

With so many people around the city, there could have been a problem in the security, an issue which has never been understimated in Germany, especially after what happened in Berlin last December. But the security body set by the city government was efficient enough to be discreet. The joyful atmosphere had been kept for all the ten days, in the true spirit of  Maiwoche and, above all in the true spirit of Osnabruck "the city of peace" as its welcoming cartel states.

Next appointment to Maiwoche is in 2018, from the 10th to the 21st of May. Save the date!