Touring through Heppenheim with light makers and white women

When darkness falls in Heppenheim, they light up—legendary figures that adorn the street lamps in the old town and come to life on lantern tours. These tours are even more special when you attend them during the Raunächte time, the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The alleys of Heppenheim’s old town are almost deserted on this winter evening. Only here and there can muffled footsteps or quiet murmurs be heard. It would be almost a little eerie, were it not for the Christmas tree that stands in the market square and shines against the darkness with thousands of lights. A little way from it, Schunkengasse alley branches off from the square. A lantern-like street lamp shines the way to it. Beneath it there is a figure on a ladder; white face, black hat, long dress and hands resting on a large book.

In the glow of the lantern-like street lamp, Pia Keßler-Schül begins to tell the story of a light maker from Kirschhausen, a district of Heppenheim. This light maker’s son used to sell candles in the town every day—until, one day, he met a strangely dressed man. The man led him through a secret door set back into the slope of the Schlossberg hill and into an underground castle and gave him a lot of money for his candles. The man demanded that he tell no one else about this. When the boy finally did tell other people about it, the door disappeared. “And neither the boy nor anyone else ever found it again.”

With a mysterious smile, Pia closes the book. The street lamp above her shows a scene from the legend—a boy handing a candle to a mysterious man. The depiction is a paper cut-out made by the artist Albert Völkl. It is one of 150 depictions that have been on display throughout Heppenheim’s old town since the Hessentag event in 2004. Stefan Behr, artistic director of the Gassensensationen street theatre festival, developed the concept for the lantern trail together with Albert for the festival on the occasion of the Hessentag event. The scenes show motifs from Hessian legends from all regions of the state. Such as the legend about the giants of the sea of rocks, the one about the guard dog Melampus of Starkenburg fortress or the one or the one about a mysterious white woman who used to appear as a ghost near the fortress.

Pia trained as a city guide for the Hessentag event. She was very excited about the project. A native of Heppenheim, she worked in the Bergstraße district administration until her children were born. Once they had gotten older, her daughter even trained for the city guide job together with her. “Although I had spent my whole life here, I was sure there was a lot I didn’t know about my hometown.”

There’s always a special atmosphere there. People become quiet and listen attentively

Pia Keßler-Schül

She enjoyed what she was learning during the course. And when the city was looking for guides for the new lantern trail, she signed up immediately. “I thought it was a wonderful idea. I really used to love stories even as a child.” And today, more than 20 years later, she still enjoys slipping into the role of lantern guide. “There’s always a special atmosphere there. People become quiet and listen attentively.” She is particularly pleased that the lantern tours still work in the digital age that favours shorter and louder formats. “The tours always slow things down.”

Initially, public lantern tours in Heppenheim took place from April to October. “But demand didn’t drop off in winter either,” says Pia, so that the city decided to offer additional tours. But only on very special days—such as between Christmas and New Year, the first part of the Raunächte time. The Raunächte are considered a magical time when the boundaries to the ‘otherworld’ are thinner. “In the past, many rituals were held during these days, such as burning incense in homes to drive away undesirable spirits,” she explains. “You weren’t supposed to do laundry or hang it outside during this time either, because ghosts could get caught in it, turning white sheets into shrouds.”

The Raunächte period is an ideal time to go on legendary forays. For Pia, the preparations begin in her house in the north of Heppenheim a few hours prior to the start of the tour. Over the years, she has amassed quite a collection: clothes for different seasons, black boots, several hats. There are currently around 30 guides, some dressed in medieval garb, others in more mystical attire. “Everyone chooses for themselves what they want to wear as a costume,” says Pia. She always slips into the same role. She puts on her dress, a long black robe with embroidery and trim. Then she paints her face white and draws black curved lines around her eyes. She does not portray a specific character. “I just like the contrast between the darkness, my black dress and my white face.”

She does a good 20 lantern tours a year. The city selects new legends to be told on the tours for the public each year. Pia adapts her choice of lantern she carries with her accordingly. The previous ones are stored in her dining room or in the winter garden, and one hangs directly above the front door. It is obvious that she enjoys her task. Her husband Norbert Schül supports her wherever he can.

He even accompanies her with musical instruments on special tours. Then he wanders with her through the streets of Heppenheim playing the guitar and harmonica. Norbert’s parents’ house is also located there, at Marktstraße 1, where the Muse Chocolat provides culinary delights. The guild of city and lantern guides was founded on Pia’s initiative in the old vaulted cellar of the building in 2015. “It’s not a club, just a social gathering to exchange experiences and ideas.”   

Pia herself is always coming up with new ideas. The latest is a reading promotion project she undertakes on the lantern trail, together with Inge Schäffauer. She fetches an old suitcase and opens it. Inside are street signs, a map of the old town and several small capes. “With the map and the street signs, the children find their way through the old town. Almost like a paper chase.” With the lantern-like street lamps as objects of the chase. The suitcase also contains a few legends, written in simple language and large print. “The children are given a cape and then allowed to climb the ladder and read the old stories.” Pia smiles. “And some of them completely forget that they don’t actually like reading.”

There are regular guided tours specifically for children on the lantern trail, which Pia does as well. And when the Heppenheim native isn’t out and about with a lantern, she certainly doesn’t get bored either. She has been practising taekwondo for decades and has a black belt. She is also a committed member of the Heppenheimer Altstadtfreunde local association, like her husband, who is on the board. Together with him, she has designed the first guided tour of the half-timbered architecture in Heppenheim’s old town. She is always on the lookout for new topics and stories to tell about the old town of Heppenheim.

www.heppenheim.de

Lantern tours during the Twelve Days of Christmas take place every day from 26 to 31 December at 7 p.m. Starting point for the tours is the historic market square. The tour costs 6 euro for adults and 3 euro for children. Registration is not required.