St Gallen fair evolved from medieval market into autumn spectacle

The St Gallen autumn fair has transformed from a medieval trading market into a popular amusement event over more than 800 years, SRF reports.

Today, the fair runs for 11 days alongside OLMA, an exhibition held in St Gallen. Its history stretches back to the Middle Ages, when the event brought large crowds into the city and required special measures. Each house in the old town had to keep water ready in case of fire, and the city guard was strengthened.

The fair also gave visiting traders the right to sell their goods, under a rule known as “fair freedom”. Historian Stadelmann cited a German entertainer who came to St Gallen to perform and also sold medicine, something she said was possible only during the fair.

The gathering could also heighten tensions. In 1565, the city was Protestant while the monastery remained Catholic. The autumn fair was cancelled because a new abbot was due to be blessed the day before it opened, and officials feared unrest. “All the city gates were closed,” Stadelmann said. The abbot held the ceremony without guests from outside the city.

During the 19th century, the fair increasingly became a spectacle. Organisers added displays of animals, cultures and people, including people with physical differences and entire African villages. Historian Max Lemmenmeier said these attractions drew larger crowds. Such human exhibitions continued at the fair until the 1930s.

Tags: St Gallen, history, fairs