Basel region celebrates centuries-old Banntag
Published: Sunday, May 5th 2024, 09:42
Volver a Live Feed
The Banntag, a festive walk along the municipal border, is very popular in the Basel region every May. In Liestal and Sissach, it is a male-dominated event with shotguns and packs. In other municipalities, however, the custom has established itself as a family event. The Banntag has undergone a number of developments over the course of its history.
Early in the morning, there is a bang in the old town. The marksmen start things off with firecrackers. Later, the Banntag bell at the town gate rings out, bringing together hundreds of men - all wearing hats and "Maie", as the flower decorations on their brims are called. Four so-called "Rotten" walk along the municipal border. Later, at the "Znünihalt", the thirsty hikers treat themselves to a "Muff" - a four-decilitre glass of wine.
These scenes take place in Liestal every Monday before Ascension Day. The cantonal capital of Basel-Landschaft celebrates what is probably Switzerland's best-known Banntag. Liestal is the only municipality to recognize it as a communal holiday. The walk along the boundary stones is reserved for men: Liestal citizens and "Tschamauchen", as residents without citizenship are called, as well as guests.
Children were also allowed to join the hike, while women - apart from helping with the food - were excluded. Exceptions prove the rule: a photo from 1949 from the state archives shows a woman holding a shotgun at the "Znünihalt".
First documented in writing in 1581
The civic community has sometimes cited the year 1405 as the origin of the custom. This was the case in 2005, for example, when the 600th anniversary was celebrated. The late medieval date goes back to a document book that mentions a ride along the Ergolz by the mayor of Liestal with his banner and entourage.
However, folklorist Dominik Wunderlin comes to a different conclusion. According to him, the 1405 reference was not to a Bannumgang, but merely to a regulation of fishing rights. According to Wunderlin, the Banntag has been documented in writing since 1581, i.e. after the Reformation.
Banishing day was once both a religious ceremony and a boundary control. Farmers used to walk through the fields to pray for blessings and fertility. In Catholic areas, such field processions remained in use.
Fools and brawls
The situation was different in those areas where the Reformation prevailed. In these areas, the "Bannumgang" became a purely political duty, as can be seen from the cantonal history portal of the State Archives. The citizens, especially the appointed "Gescheidsleute", had to check the boundary stones.
The "Bannumgang" turned into a festival on Ascension Day. In the 18th century, the custom even took on carnival-like characteristics with masked figures such as the Wild Man and jesters, as Wunderlin writes. However, these celebrations on a church holiday were a thorn in the side of the clergy. Around 1714, they were moved to the first Monday in May and later to the Monday before Ascension Day.
Sometimes things could get rowdy on Banntag. In the 19th century, there were sometimes fights or even brawls when the citizens came across the Banntägler from a neighboring village on their tour, as it says on the portal in question.
Revival in the 20th century
With the introduction of the land register, boundary control became superfluous. Most municipalities therefore abolished the Bannumgang. According to Wunderlin, it was also dismissed as a "drinking festival". There were complaints about drunken schoolchildren and shooting accidents.
However, like other traditions in Basel, the Banntag experienced a renaissance in the 20th century. Also in Liestal. The local citizens had become a numerical minority compared to the inhabitants. By reviving the Banntag, they emphasized their former privileges. The Banntag is still celebrated today in Liestal and Sissach with a parade of redcoats and the clanging of shotguns. The focus was no longer on border control, but on getting to know the homeland. It was now also open to the "Tschamauchen".
After the Second World War, many other municipalities also introduced Banntag. It became important as a day of integration for the many immigrants. Today, in many municipalities, the event resembles a family outing on Ascension Day with sausages, brass band music and festivities - for example in Gelterkinden, Binningen and Reinach. In some places, such as Münchenstein, some participants ride along on horseback. The two municipalities of Riehen and Bettingen in the neighboring canton of Basel-Stadt also celebrate this tradition. The citizens' corporation of the Basel district and former fishing village of Kleinhüningen also introduced a banquet day in 1990.
Shooting noise controversy and dissident rotter
In contrast to all these popular festivals, the Liestaler Banntag has repeatedly become a political issue. For example, the shooting noise led to a legal dispute that lasted for years. The then National Councillor Ruth Gonseth (Greens) filed a complaint about it in the 1990s and took it all the way to the Federal Supreme Court. The court rejected the complaint in 2000 and deemed the shooting noise to be reasonable. This year too, a petition against the use of firearms was submitted to the cantonal parliament.
A second point that already caused debate in the 1970s was the exclusion of women in Sissach and Liestal. Finally, in 1996, the fifth red team, also known as the dissident red team, was founded. Women and people of all nationalities were admitted. It always set off an hour after the four Rotte of the Bürgergemeinde, later on Ascension Day. In the meantime, however, it has disappeared from the scene.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic