Shock moment in the Ländle

26 meter high spark overturned in Vorarlberg

The sparking custom is only honored in the "Alemannic" Vorarlberg.

(Bild: Richard Mayer)

Dozens of sparks were once again set alight in Vorarlberg at the weekend. Not everything always went smoothly, as the example of the Montafon municipality of Gaschurn shows: A burning spark almost 30 meters high toppled over there.

The most important thing right from the start: no people were injured in the incident. This was also due to the fact that the members of the Funkenzunft had already acted very prudently in advance and ensured sufficient safety distance. After the "structure" fell over, the Funkenhexe, which was filled with black powder, was immediately defused.

The spark witch has become a real political issue in Vorarlberg in recent weeks due to its dubious symbolism. Which is why the Funkenzunft Gaschurn has emphasized that no "assassination attempt" is responsible for the mishap.

In the past, there have been far more incidents involving the burning of sparks in the Ländle region - not only once did the fire department have to be called out because the flying sparks threatened to set house roofs ablaze. For this reason, the once wild custom has been "tamed" somewhat in many places by means of strict rules. In many communities, for example, there is now only one spark - just 30 years ago, almost every plot of land had its own bonfire.