Das Hanselfingerhut-Spiel in Forst

Forst an der Weinstrasse is known for its white wines. Additionally, in Forst, aside from the interruptions caused by the pandemic, the Hanselfingerhut game is performed every year before Easter. The tradition gained national recognition when it was included in the Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2016. As part of a research project, the local practice of the tradition was documented with film cameras, and the genesis of the custom, along with its cultural-political negotiation, was analyzed from a cultural studies perspective. While the ethnographic film "Black Kisses, White Wine Spritzer" (48 minutes) portrays the people who prepare and perform the tradition, the written analysis focuses on a cultural-historical reconstruction of the origin story as it is maintained in Forst, reproduced by the media, and recognized by the German UNESCO Commission in the context of the cultural heritage designation. The microanalysis points to larger temporal, spatial, and social contexts, making them understandable through the case study of Forst. The reconstruction reveals which actors have been involved in the development of the tradition since the late 19th century and which factors have influenced the evolution of this complex of customs.