The Böckstein sword dancers are celebrating their anniversary today, Sunday, as part of the folk and miners’ festival. The men have been cultivating this unique mining tradition for 45 years: the historic sword dance.
They owe their tradition to the Archbishops of Salzburg, who allowed the Gastein miners to carry weapons in the Middle Ages. This is how the historical dance developed. Although the tradition has subsequently fallen into oblivion, it was revived 45 years ago. The historical dance is performed every year on the first Sunday in September in Böckstein in the Montansiedlung.
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