City to Celebrate Sommerfrische Tomorrow

The City of Berlin will host the annual Sommerfrische Ball tomorrow, Saturday, 09 April 1929 beginning with a gathering in the Schinkelpark at 13:00SLT. The arrival of spring will be cheered with speeches and toasts from barrels of locally distilled schnapps. Following the celebration in the park will be a dance at the prestigious Hotel Adlon at 14:00SLT.

Traditionally, the Sommerfrische marked the time of year when Junker nobility moved from their winter city residences to their country estates. Originally this was because spring marked the beginning of the annual agricultural cycle and the aristocracy moved in order to be able to supervise critical planting activities on their farms. In more recent times it simply marked the period when the wealthy moved to their summer homes to avoid the uncomfortable summer heat and congestion of the cities. The festival is now celebrated by all social classes more as the marking of the end of winter and an occasion for city wide bacchanals.