Euskirchen - Simon-Juda-Markt

The origins of the Simon Judah market date back to 1322, when the town of Euskirchen was granted a market charter written in Latin on parchment paper by the then sovereign, Reinald I, Lord of Montjoie, Falkenburg, Bütgenbach and Euskirchen, son of the town's founder Walram VII, on 13 April 1322. It granted the right to hold a weekly market as well as an annual market lasting one week, starting on the day of St. Cornelius (16 September).

By decree of the Duke of Jülich, who replaced the sovereigns of Monschau-Falkenburg from 1355, the town of Euskirchen was even allowed three fairs, including the fair on the occasion of St. Simon and Judas on 28 October.

At this time, it was customary to name important dates after the names of saints who were celebrated on the days in question. The 28th of October is considered to be the commemoration of the apostles Simon and Jude. Both apostles preached the gospel in the countries of the Middle East and died a martyr's death at different times. Due to their co-operation in Persia, they have always been celebrated on the same day and are both patron saints of the church.

Severe strokes of fate in the 16th century, including the plague epidemics of 1519 and 1577, the great town fire of 1533 and the Jülich feud of 1543, brought the Euskirchen fairs to an almost complete standstill. It is no longer possible to determine when today's Simon Judah Market replaced the originally celebrated Cornelius Market in September, but its origins can be traced back to this market. The sovereign William V, the Rich, Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, decided by rescript of 28 December 1579 to give the mayor, aldermen and council of Euskirchen permission to reintroduce the annual markets that had existed since time immemorial, including the Simon and Judas market.

For many years, the Simon and Judas market was traditionally celebrated from 28 October, even though this day fell on a weekday. Towards the end of the 19th century, this strict procedure was abandoned and the fair began on the Sunday closest to the day of Simon and Judas.

This traditional Euskirchen autumn fair, like the Donatus-May fair, is one of the largest inner-city fairs on the left bank of the Rhine. The Simon Juda market, which is still held on one of the last two weekends in October, features a 1.6 km long fairground course through the centre of Euskirchen. Starting at the Alter Markt, it runs all the way to Charleviller Platz and offers plenty of variety for young and old with its mixture of funfair and folk festival. It attracts several hundred thousand visitors every year thanks to its nationwide reputation.

Source: City of Euskirchen

Travel information:

By public transport:

- by train - Euskirchen railway station (500 metres away)

- by bus - Kirchstraße bus stop

By car:

- Venue: Charleviller Platz / city centre

Parking facilities:

- Spiegelstraße multi-storey car park (Spiegelstraße 15)

- Kirchplatz car park (Kirchstraße 7-8)

- Veybach-Center multi-storey car park (Veybachstraße 3)