drent & herent

‘Aperschnalzen’ is a noisy pagan custom, which is still enthusiastically practised in the Bavaria-Salzburg border region. The loud cracking of whips was originally supposed to drive away the evil spirits of winter. Nowadays, the custom has changed into a contest and instead of evil spirits, it’s about ‘driving away’ the competing team. Director and Schnalzer Martin Hasenöhrl accompanies one of these teams, Passe Gois IV, during its two months of training for the Große Rupertigaupreisschnalzen, where 1500 active Schnalzer from Bavaria and Salzburg meet every year.