Bürgerfest Regensburg: A still life

Every two years, Regensburg celebrates its citizens’ festival. Even if it is otherwise often quite contentious: for two days in June, we forget all contentious issues such as the town hall and celebrate what the festivals have to offer. There’s no forwards, there’s no backwards: the world cultural heritage site becomes a potential Domestos advertising clip.

I’ve been back in Regensburg for four months now. Nothing is planned, but everything is going well. Perhaps because good things can only happen unexpectedly, I’m enjoying the Regensburg Bürgerfest more than ever before. Good bands, lots of fine food, a bit of rain, some sunshine and quirky moments: that’s how it should be!

Pacult is a lovely little DJ, very quiet and calm, but with loud, good music. He played at the Wunderbar before my trip around the world on Tuesday. Hardly anyone was ever there, just me and him. He spoke, and he spoke well. Now he has a band with reviews in Spex. “A hundred times beloved” is playing at Bismarckplatz. Great until the much too early closing time.

We sit down where we always sit down. Not much happens, but that’s not a bad thing. At some point, I’m the last one to sit down again. It’s like school: staying seated means repeating things. What is being repeated today?

I get tunnel vision and lose track. I only notice individual things. I fixate on them. After a few trivial things, I find the right fixed point. A young woman, heavily drunk, is sitting alone at a wobbly table that is far too high. A hero immediately joins her. Moves closer. She moves away. Talks, socialises. Touches her shoulder, she pushes him away. Then her hand rests on his thigh.

She pulls her hand away, rejects him again, then grins far too sweetly. When he goes to the loo, she looks into the void, quite swaying. Finally, as a supposed non-smoker, she goes for a smoke with him, never to be seen again. I think it’s wonderful when people are finally at least a little bit animalistic again. Like in a zoo. Up and down again and again, back and forth, and in the end probably out. Do animals know remorse?