The Musikantenland ("Musician's Land") is an area of the northern
West Palatinate in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, north of the
Landstuhler Bruch
The Landstuhl Marsh or Landstuhl Bog (german: (Spesbach-)Landstuhler Bruch , ''Westricher Moorniederung'' or ''Westpfälzische Moorniederung'') is a region in West Palatinate in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
According to the Handbook ...
in the area of the rivers
Glan and
Lauter
Lauter may refer to:
People
* Lauter (surname)
Places
*Lauter, Saxony, town in the district of Aue-Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Germany
* Lauter, Bavaria, village in the district of Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
Rivers
* Lauter (Baunach), tributary to th ...
. On the fringes of this region are the city of
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
and the towns of
Kusel,
Rockenhausen and
Meisenheim (only Kusel being counted as part of the Musikantenland). The region is located in the counties of
Kusel and
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
. This region is named after the
Westphalian Wandering Musicians, who originated from here, especially from 1850 until the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Usage
Today, the term "Musikantenland" is often used in this area for tourism purposes. For example the county of Kusel operates its tourist industry under the slogan ''"Palatine Uplands - Kusel Musikantenland''". Regional dishes are described with the prefix "Musikantenland", there is for example a'' Musikantenland'' Roast and'' Musikantenland''
Bratwurst.
The
Musikantenland Museum in
Lichtenberg Castle near Kusel and the
West Palatine Musikanten Museum in
Mackenbach recall the history of West Palatinate's wandering musicians.
Since 1984, the county of Kusel has awarded the Lichtenburg Musikantenland Prize in recognition of special achievements for those cultivating and developing the West Palatinate musical tradition. Elmar Wolf, also a Lichtenburg Prize winner, founded the publishing house ''EDITION Musikantenland'', after leaving the ''EWOTON-Musikverlag'' music publishing company, as a token of his affection for the Kusel Musikantenland.
In 2003, the County school of Music, founded in 1948, was renamed the Kusel Music School Musikantenland.
Buildings such as the'' Musikantenland'' Hall, a multi-purpose hall in Jettenbach, also bear the name.
External links
Palatinate Uplands - Kuseler MusikantenlandKusel Music School Musikantenland
Regions of Rhineland-Palatinate
West Palatine travelling music tradition
Western Palatinate