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***image1***Quirnbach will hold its traditional horse market Wednesday. The event
includes a horse show, sale and awards ceremony as well as musical
entertainment, vendors’ and food booths and a lottery.
In 1252, the village of Quirnbach was mentioned in official documents
for the first time, and in 1444, the first markets were held.
After Kusel was burnt down in 1794 during the French Revolution,
Quirnbach became the main location for cattle markets. Administration
officials allowed the village to hold markets every third day of each
month.
After Kusel was rebuilt, they tried to get back market rights, but
without success. People from all neighboring regions and countries kept
coming to Quirnbach. In the years 1856/57 more than 25 markets were
held. For about 100 years, Quirnbach and Kusel continued the fight on
market rights.
Since Saint Martin’s Day of 1877, the event is better known as horse
market. Horses became more and more important for farmers in the
region. That is why they decided to hold special horse markets. In
those days, farmers met at the markets and it was a common thing for
them to marry their daughters and sons without their consent. People
started calling it, “marriage market.”
After World War II the horse market had another prime time, but with
the beginning of using motorized vehicles for farming and the building
of streets, markets with cattle and horses lost their importance.
Farmers did not have to stick to one specific selling date.
Soon the event was celebrated as a village carnival. At the beginning
of the 1980s, local clubs and business people revived the original
market, made it more attractive and started a lottery.
Today, a variety of horse breeds are exhibited, sold and awarded. The
horse show will start at 10 a.m. and festivities with music and food
will start in the fest tent at 11 a.m.
There will be children’s activities and vendors will offer anything
from A to Z. At more than 50 stands, visitors will find items they
normally only can obtain at very special markets. Several food booths
will be set up, and an extra food tent where typical Palatinate
specialties will be served. Lottery tickets to win a variety of prizes
at 5 p.m. are now available in local stores.
Quirnbach is located near Glan-Münchweiler on autobahn A62.
