Schlaraffia is a fellowship of German-speaking men, founded in Prague in 1859, who stage a good-natured parody of medieval chivalry to celebrate art, humor and friendship. Near Philadelphia the game has been played since 1895 by the Filadelfia (128), today at its Pennburg in Warminster.
A castle named after William Penn
Every local chapter is called a Reych, and every Reych has a Burg, a castle, even if it looks like an ordinary hall from the parking lot. The Filadelfia named its castle the Pennburg in honor of the founder of Pennsylvania. Once the evening begins, the room is a realm of its own, complete with a throne and an owl. The Uhu, the eagle owl, is the emblem of the whole fellowship and stands for wisdom paired with a sense of humor.
Who runs the evening
A meeting is called a Sippung and starts at 7 p.m. On the throne sit the officers of the Reych; one of them, the Fungierender, acts as presiding knight and master of ceremonies. He grants the floor, keeps order and keeps the pace up. Members contribute poems, songs, talks or comic sketches, and any such piece of their own is called a Fechsung. On some evenings everyone brings his favorite Fechsung, and anyone who cannot decide brings two and talks faster.
From pilgrim to knight
A visitor who is not a Schlaraffe is called a Pilger, a pilgrim. Those who decide to stay begin a path through several ranks, from Knappe, the squire, to Junker and finally to Ritter, the knight, who receives a playful knightly name at his accolade. Famous artists can be honored as Ehrenschlaraffen, honorary members; one of them is the singer Udo Jürgens, known in the game as ES Merci, to whom the Filadelfia has devoted an evening of its own.
A year with its own calendar
Schlaraffen count their years from the founding in Prague and give the months names of their own. The meeting season is the Winterung, the summer break the Sommerung. Fixed customs mark the year: the Ahallafeyer remembers members who have died, the Uhubaum ceremony is Schlaraffia's Christmas, and the passport renewal in March turns administration into rhyme. How the chapter grew since 1895 is told in the history of the Filadelfia.
Seeing it for yourself
The meetings are held in German, and guests attend free of charge. If you want a fuller picture first, the network site offers a clear English introduction to what Schlaraffia is and where it came from. After that, pick a Thursday from the event calendar and register as a guest.
Bei uns im Reych
Inhalt wird aus dem zentralen Sprachpaket geliefert.
