Gefäß

According to Hans Hahne and Heinz Julius Niehoff, the Festivals of Robbers were a regional speciality of Whitsun customs: the »robbers« usually stole a »bridal couple« who were then rescued by »gendarmes« or »soldiers«. Hahne and Niehoff interpreted this as »a struggle [of the community] against alien – and a defence against destructive – enemy forces«. According to the preserved report by Rudolf Petrovitz, »lads disguised as Jews« were rescued by the village community at the 1926 Festival of Robbers in Strenz­Naundorf. At that time, Germans of Jewish faith or Jewish origin could evidently still be considered part of the community – as »the Self«, enjoying the same protection as other groups of the population.