Of mystical traditions

The tradition of burning off sparks has an eventful history in Bludenz. In earlier times, the so-called "Scheibenschlagen" was practiced in and around Bludenz. This custom is still practiced today in some communities in Vorarlberg on Spark Sunday. Wooden discs are attached to wooden sticks and made to glow. The glowing disks draw a luminous arc in the night sky and are then hurled into the darkness.

In 1741, the Bludenz town council banned the breaking of sparks and punished it severely. 24 years later, the burning of sparks was even banned in Bludenz, as the custom was seen as economically and socially harmful. This ban was later introduced throughout Vorarlberg with the help of the relevant provincial authorities.

It was difficult to dissuade the population of Vorarlberg from continuing to cultivate the custom. In Bludenz, there were several conflicts on Sparkensonntag. However, it was only towards the end of the 18th century that legislators became more tolerant and the importance of the sparking custom was increasingly discussed in society.

The burning of sparks was banned and enforced until the 1960s. In Bludenz, a symbolic end was put to years of conflict in 1893 when the first sparking event was officially approved by the authorities. In the same year, the world's first sparking regulations were written down in the Hirschen inn in Bludenz.

There are numerous age-old traditions surrounding the bonfire, which are practiced differently in each valley - and even in the individual villages. However, it is not only the old traditions but also new ideas that keep the sparking custom alive.

Until 2019, the central trunk of the Bludenzer Funken was covered with pallets and filled with Christmas trees. However, as the safety distance could no longer be guaranteed due to the reduction in available space, a new Bludenzer Funken was erected in 2020. The spark is now only built with a few pallets and without Christmas trees. The highlight of the new spark is the cladding with more than 2000 tree slices, the so-called "cookies".

In the municipality of Nüziders, the spark is erected in a pyramid-like shape from three spark slats. The inside is filled with wood, which is traditionally prepared during the annual Funkenholzen. The spark master himself carries the spark witch, Lucrezia von der Holderstaude (named after the nearby Holderstaude tree), to the top of the spark and attaches her there. Lanterns are made in the kindergarten and carried through the village in a festive procession on the evening of Spark Sunday. After the procession, the spark is lit by the mayor and spark master. Torches are made for the children in advance, which they wave into the night sky alongside the sparking fire. After the witch has said goodbye, fireworks are set off. If Lucrezia von der Holderstaude is not redeemed by the big bang, she is carried to her grave in the presence of the population at a witches' funeral.