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Intangible cultural heritage

Traditions, knoweldge, craftsmanship techniques  
Photo: © UNESCO/James Muriuki

Delivery of the "Freiung" at the Maxlaun Market in Niederwölz
Social practices in Styria, inscribed 2013

The three-day “Maxlaun Market” is held each year on the second weekend of October in the Styrian village of Niederwölz. The name derives from that of Maximilian, patron saint of the local parish, whose feast day is celebrated on 12 October. In his honour, a festive procession is organised in which the "Freiung", an arm carved from black painted wood and holding a festively decorated sword, is carried to the fairgrounds via a traditional route.

The market’s origin can be traced back to Friedrich III, who in 1450 issued the village of Niederwölz the privilege of holding a fair on the feast day of the church patron Maximilian. Following a period of prohibition during the early 16th century, the market was reinstated in 1536 by King Ferdinand I. Since then, the Freiung has been delivered to the market each year. It stands as a symbol of the market’s legal protection and as a guarantor of free trade and peace thanks to a ban on carrying weapons.

Until the mid-19th century, the Maxlaun Market was one of Styria’s largest fairs, with an emphasis on the sale of livestock and leather goods, and was a meeting place for merchants from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria, and Salzburg. Following the Second World War, the delivery of the Freiung became the fair’s dominant feature.

The market’s origin can be traced back to Friedrich III, who in 1450 issued the village of Niederwölz the privilege of holding a fair on the feast day of the church patron Maximilian. Following a period of prohibition during the early 16th century, the market was reinstated in 1536 by King Ferdinand I. Since then, the Freiung has been delivered to the market each year. It stands as a symbol of the market’s legal protection and as a guarantor of free trade and peace thanks to a ban on carrying weapons.

Until the mid-19th century, the Maxlaun Market was one of Styria’s largest fairs, with an emphasis on the sale of livestock and leather goods, and was a meeting place for merchants from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria, and Salzburg. Following the Second World War, the delivery of the Freiung became the fair’s dominant feature.

In the current practice, the mayor selects the “Freiung-bearer”, who in turn chooses the so-called “Maxlauner”, who is responsible for clearing a path through the crowd. In a festive procession, the statue of Saint Maximilian is then carried to the Stinglbauer-Haus, in which the original Freiung from 1656 is kept. The Freiung is lowered from the building’s balcony and the procession commences with the traditional “Freiung greeting”. The Freiung-bearer carries the sword hand to the fairgrounds accompanied by the village band, the village choir (Sängerrunde Niederwölz), the association of war veterans, the volunteer fire brigade, the rural youth association, and the mountain rescue team. Their path is cleared by the Maxlauner.

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