What do the people of Groningen want with the Groningen Relief? That is the dilemma that the Koninklijke Vereeniging van Volksvermaken, which organizes the annual commemoration, is struggling with. “If we continue like this, we will lose the battle,” said the new president Karina Stapensea.
Tataataaa. Pfoooh, pfoooh, pfoooh. Rat cat cat boom . The musicians of mop orchestra De Bierspiekers blow Neil Diamonds’ Sweet Caroline ‘ this Saturday morning through the city center of Groningen. Short-breasted passers-by, holiday tan still on their calves, stop for a moment, make movies and trudge on again, armed with shopping bags filled to the brim. “Very nice,” said one woman. “But why are they there? Ah, Groningen Relief.” She hesitates for a fraction of a second. “Wait, it’s Monday, isn’t it?”
Isn’t it time for something different?
The celebration of the Groningen Relief did indeed start on Saturday and end on Monday evening, August 28, with the traditional Groots en Brilliant Fireworks in the Zuiderhaven. The public was spoiled to the bone last year with the corona-delayed anniversary celebration of Bommen Berend. Exhibitions, parades, lectures and podcasts: it couldn’t stop.
But this year, despite all the herculean efforts of those involved, the three-day program still makes a somewhat faded impression. It’s not about the activities. Yeah, the mop orchestras blowin’ hard, the Martini’s carillon sparkles with’ Fly me to the moon ‘ and the mini-lectures in the Academy Building draw full lecture halls. And on Sunday there is also a lot to experience, including a historic memorial service and a concert by the North Netherlands Orchestra on the Ossenmarkt. But well, well, well, it all seems a bit routine. Wreath-laying, horse inspection, Big meal. Isn’t it about time for something… different?
What are we actually celebrating?
Because what about that Groningen Relief? In 1672, or the Disaster Year, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was attacked by England, France and the dioceses of Münster and Cologne. Thus the saying goes: the people were senseless, the government distraught and the country helpless. The bishop of Münster, Bernhard von Galen alias Bommen Berend, wanted to re-incorporate the areas in and around Groningen into his diocese with 24,000 soldiers. The siege began on July 22. The defense of the city was in the hands of the elderly fighter Carl von Rabenhaupt, who led about two thousand defenders. The city was rained down by bombs and grenades for a month. But the city held out, and after six weeks the bishop gave up.
That calls for a grand celebration. Spectacle with a hefty dose of history. Admittedly, the lack of the fair on the now churned-up Grote Markt has a big impact. The torrential rain showers that wash the streets clean don’t really help either. But these are not the only reasons why the KVvV, purveyor of the Groningen Relief, is hatching a different interpretation.
Don’t forget we are a volunteer organization
,,What does the public want from us?” asks chairwoman Karina Stapensea, who is one of the veterans of the association with her 22 years, wonders aloud. “You want the people of Groningen to be proud of the Groningen Relief. And as KVvV we want to provide the ingredients for an event with tradition, commemoration, celebration and experience. But what do we do then? And also: how do we do that? Don’t forget that we are a volunteer association with fewer and fewer volunteers. Moreover, we also have to deal with price increases. Guards, first aiders, music, everything is getting more expensive.”
“In addition, the increasingly complicated regulations make it even more difficult to reach agreements with the municipality. Due to the work and the archaeological excavations on the Grote Markt, the planning kept shifting, while we already had our plans ready in January. That is why it only became clear to us relatively late that no fair was possible, so that the connecting factor of the three days of activities disappeared. We have just as many activities as before corona, but due to the disappearance of the fair, everything makes a somewhat fragmented impression.
Will horses remain part of Bommen Berend?
The KVvV itself had already drawn a line through the Concours Hippique. Too expensive and public interest diminished. ,,But there are also less and less stable owners who participate, so we have trouble getting horses and drivers. We will continue with the horse inspection at the Ossenmarkt, but for how long? Yet we want horses to remain part of the celebration, that has been the case for a long time, just like the wind vane – a horse – on the Martinitoren.”
Her predecessor Harrie van Ham had far-reaching plans to revive the traditional short track racing. This is where the Zuiderdiep came into the picture. Stapensea: ,,We still want that, but can we get that done with the municipality? And this also costs money.
The sun is now shining abundantly again. Umbrellas are shaken out and folded. Mop orchestras bring out their brass again. A well-known song echoes through a steaming city center moments later. Summer Nights from Grease.