Trachtenvereine
A Trachtenverein is an association of people who look after the traditions of the region. That includes that they have traditional costumes which they wear on various occasions, make traditional music and celebrate old traditional festivals and feasts. Bad Tölz still has three of those associations and also one Schützenkompanie. This is an association of people who shot with all kinds of guns and airguns. In Bavaria those Schützenkompanien can be traced back to the 16th century when men had to defend catholic Bavaria against the Swedish army. Today everybody can join.
Trachtenvereine and Schützenkompanien do a lot to preserve traditions. They really live traditions on religious and traditional secular festivals and, what is more, they also introduce our traditions and customs to guests on the so-called Heimatabend.
