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Das Esslinger Entenrennen

 Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to have been informed about and invited to a peculiar, yet exciting, local tradition: the Esslinger Entenrennen (Esslingen Duck Race in English). As I intend to be exploring space and community as touchpoints for cultural difference in this blog series, das Entenrennen feels like the perfect place to start. 


What is the Entenrennen?

The Esslinger Entenrennen is a charity raffle where around 7000 numbered rubber ducks are dumped into a canal along the Necker river in Esslingen. Each duck is numbered and locals are encouraged to buy tickets which each correspond to a duck. The ticket holders of the fastest 125 ducks win prizes, donated by local sponsors, ranging from coupons to the grand prize of an E-bike.


Why?

The Entenrennen is a component of the broader local festival of "Esslinger Frühling" (Esslingen Spring), a weekend-long local market festival held every year to mark the beginning of Spring. From11am until 6pm the town center is alive with local venders, musicians and street performers, food, and anticipation for the Entenrennen. It was really cool to walk the streets which felt distinctly alive—the purpose of "Esslinger Frühling." While the city coordinates "Esslinger Frühling," the Entenrennen is organized by Esslingen's chapter of "Round Table," a mens club which uses the money it raises for charity. 

My Time at the Entenrennen

I had been invited to the Entenrennen by my, I guess the best word would be, host-family who live in Esslingen, so after a painless 40 minute train ride from Tübingen, I met up with them and they showed me around the market and the best places to see the canal. In a lot of ways it felt like other charity events I had seen in the United States; the MCs thanked everyone and talked about the event while the same Black Eyed Peas song played in the background, but it was also distinctly different because of how much of a community event the Entenrennen is. Despite the near freezing temperatures, thousands of people turned out to watch the ducks slowly race with the current. 

Analysis

 In the States similar events would be taking place at a fairground, somewhere remote where participants made a choice to go, or a big city. The Entenrennen on the other hand, takes place in downtown Esslingen, a small city that feels smaller than its 90,000 inhabitants. The location turns an otherwise cute charity event into a feature of the community for a day, and that was exciting to see. Sadly my duck was a slow loser duck, but it did provide me with a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself.


Everyone there was some extension of the community, and if only for a few hours, so was I.

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