Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)2026 · Date · History
The City of Augsburg states that the Hohe Friedensfest is observed annually on 8 August as a municipal holiday applying only within Augsburg city limits, and that it is unique in Germany.
About Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)
The Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest, or Augsburg High Peace Festival, is observed every 8 August in Augsburg, Germany.
The City of Augsburg says the festival was first celebrated in 1650 and has been an official municipal public holiday since 1950.
Why Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival) matters
The festival developed from Augsburg’s confessional history and today centers on peace, religious freedom, pluralism and constructive coexistence.
Its legal holiday status applies specifically within the city of Augsburg, not across Germany as a whole.
History of Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)
On 8 August 1629, Protestant residents of Augsburg were barred from practicing their faith during the Thirty Years’ War.
After the Peace of Westphalia restored effective religious parity, Augsburg Protestants first celebrated the High Peace Festival on 8 August 1650.
The city says the festival became an official holiday in 1950.
In 2018, the tradition was entered in Germany’s nationwide inventory of intangible cultural heritage.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
First documented observance
The City of Augsburg states that Protestants first celebrated the High Peace Festival in 1650 on 8 August.
The High Peace Festival became an official municipal public holiday in Augsburg.
City of Augsburg
The Augsburg High Peace Festival was entered in Germany’s nationwide inventory of intangible cultural heritage.
German UNESCO Commission / German intangible-cultural-heritage framework · Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage
City of Augsburg / Peace Office
The City of Augsburg maintains the current festival programme through its Peace City/Peace Office structures.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
Peace Festival Augsburg
How to Observe Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)
Follow the City of Augsburg’s current Peace Festival programme.
Attend a public cultural, interfaith or civic event connected with the festival.
Learn about Augsburg’s religious-peace history and the Peace of Westphalia.
Remember that the public-holiday status is specific to Augsburg city.
Use the festival as an opportunity for respectful discussion about pluralism, coexistence and conflict resolution.
Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival) Facts
The High Peace Festival is observed on 8 August.
The first festival was celebrated in 1650.
The City of Augsburg says it became an official municipal holiday in 1950.
Its public-holiday status applies only within Augsburg city limits.
The tradition entered Germany’s nationwide intangible-cultural-heritage inventory in 2018.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
City of Augsburg — Hohes Friedensfest (opens in a new tab)
Municipal Government
German UNESCO Commission — Augsburg High Peace Festival (opens in a new tab)
National Unesco Commission
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)?
8 August annually The documented recurrence rule is: 8 August.
Does Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival) fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival) an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as Augsburg, Germany / municipal public holiday. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)?
The documented basis is: The City of Augsburg states that the Hohe Friedensfest is observed annually on 8 August as a municipal holiday applying only within Augsburg city limits, and that it is unique in Germany.. Supporting evidence includes City of Augsburg — Hohes Friedensfest. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival) international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to Germany. Its fuller verified scope is: Augsburg, Germany / municipal public holiday.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-01.
When is the Augsburg High Peace Festival?
It is observed annually on 8 August.
When did the festival begin?
The City of Augsburg dates the first celebration to 8 August 1650.
Is it a public holiday throughout Germany?
No. The official holiday applies specifically within Augsburg city.
What does the festival commemorate?
Its history is tied to religious repression during the Thirty Years’ War and the restoration of confessional equality after the Peace of Westphalia; today its programme has a broader peace and pluralism focus.
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