Between 1857 and 1867, three scientific and literary works were published on the Bavarian Rhine Palatinate, the impact of which still reverberates today. The first is "Die Pfälzer. Ein rheinisches Volksbild" by Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl, published by Cotta in Stuttgart in 1857, "Die Pfalz und die Pfälzer" by August Becker, published in Stuttgart in 1858, and finally "Volkskunde" by Ludwig Schandein within the volume "Bayerische Rheinpfalz" in the series "Bavaria. Landes- und Volkskunde des Königreichs Bayern", published in Munich in 1867. All three works claim, more or less explicitly, to be "Palatinate regional and folklore studies". It is not without reason that they include an "ethnographic characterization of the Bavarian Rhine Palatinate". In these three folklores, some observations are made and some characteristics are sketched out, which people still like to cling to today. The lecture examines the historical and material prerequisites of this "folk image of the Palatinate" that emerged in the middle of the 19th century. It will also explain the methodological basis of this "folk portrait". Finally, the aim is to shed light on the way in which the image created in this way is still effective in the collective self-image of Palatinate people today. Finally, the aim is to critically reflect on the significance of early Palatinate folklore for the self-image of the region and to draw a line to current debates on identity.

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Organizer: Institute for Art Studies and Fine Arts