50 years of the Freising St. Martin's Procession: A celebration of charity on November 9th!

50 years of the Freising St. Martin's Procession: A celebration of charity on November 9th!

On Sunday, November 9th, 2025, a very special festival will be celebrated in Freising: the 50th Freising St. Martin's Procession, which has established itself as one of the most beautiful and largest in Bavaria. The traditional procession of St. Martin leads through the historic old town directly to the Domberg and promises an unforgettable experience for young and old. Founded in the 1970s by Josef Goerge, the music school director at the time, the St. Martin's Parade is now organized by the Freising Music School and has received active support from the Stadtheimatpflege e.V. association since 2015. The city of Freising reports that Mayor Tobias Eschenbacher welcomed the event as patron.

From 5:30 p.m., numerous children and families gather at Marienplatz and along Obere Hauptstrasse. This is where the colorful hustle and bustle begins, culminating in Veronika Goldbach's “Sankt Martins” ride on her faithful horse Victor at 6:00 p.m. Together with lanterns that the children made themselves, the procession moves towards Domberg, where Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof and Pastor Christa Stegschuster will give the church blessing.

Martin's history and traditions

The tradition of the St. Martin's Procession goes back to the legend of St. Martin of Tours, who shared his cloak with a freezing beggar around 1,600 years ago. This gesture of charity is the basic idea behind St. Martin's Day, which is celebrated on November 11th. The celebrations are not only a reminder of this holy man, but also a solemn expression of community and togetherness. Saint Martin is believed to have lived in France between 317 and 397 AD and one of his best-known stories tells of the division of the mantle that is said to have occurred during his military service in Amiens. After this experience, Martin converted to Christianity and founded the first monastery in Europe.

The celebrations in Freising are not only reflected in the parade, but also in the burning “Martini fires”, which are a tradition at this time. These symbolize the light and warmth that St. Martin brings in a figurative sense. In addition, the sharing of the cloak is brought to life in a dramatic performance in front of the illuminated cathedral church, which is an emotional experience for everyone present.

Celebrations with musical accompaniment

The musical accompaniment to the St. Martin's procession is provided by various local groups. The Freising city band, the music school's youth brass orchestra as well as the Lerchenfelder brass band and the Freisinger Tanzlmusi ensure the right sound. We then sing together with the St. Lantpert children's choir and the children from the music school to underline the happy atmosphere. The altar boys from Freising Cathedral and St. Georg as well as students and teachers from the Paul Gerhardt Elementary School and the Freising Special Education Center also actively contribute to the success of the event. As the Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão shows, The involvement of the entire community is of great importance.

Carrying out the St. Martin's Day parade would not be possible without the support of many helping hands. The Freising Volunteer Fire Department, the Bavarian Red Cross, the police and the city administration enable the smooth running of this wonderful event, which is all about charity and community.

As a souvenir, the children receive the traditional “Otto Semoser-Weckerl” at the end of the St. Martin’s Day procession. These are reminiscent of the charitable gatekeeper Otto Semoser from the 13th century. Donations for the “Freisinger Tafel” will be accepted by the altar boys during the event. Further information, including songs and a video for singing, can be found on the Freising Music School homepage. Come by and celebrate this unique anniversary of the St. Martin's procession in Freising with us!