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Of course the National Park is inhabited by people who try to earn their living, who shape the country and landscape – people like you and me.
People like you and me.
The Vogelsbergers like celebrating. Throughout the year there are fairs and festivals in spring, at Easter, in the summer or romantic Christmas fairs in the winter. There are celebrations at lakes, in historical old towns, concerts and the Volcano Festival on the Hoherodskopf. People always find reasons for celebrating … even if only a couple of persons meet round a table …
Discovering the Vogelsberg again and again.
Beginning in 1771 Moritz Gerhard Thilenius wrote about the Vogelsbergers: “The country is well populated but I cannot yet estimate the number of people living there.” He thinks the people there are very industrious. “This country folk are strong and sane, withstanding heat and cold. Both sexes are normally of good stature, good appearance and a fresh complexion.
Their hair is more often black or brown than blond.
Where people use to marry partners of their home community they remain unmixed and pure, their hair is often blond or white, sometimes also red. Male people are often extremely tall, females are often really handsome. The girls retain longer youth and freshness and youthful bodies.
But sometimes you also see girls with ugly faces and lots of freckles or bad stature.
People are getting very old – you can often see 80 or 90 year old people going their way for hours and hours.
Reverend Otto Oskar Schulte described in a church chronicle in 1884 the peculiar character of the Vogelsbergers. The Vogelsberger has a certain serious balanced behaviour. His movements are hard and jerky being aware that he must never lose his dignity. He could never move as easily as a Rhinelander can. Before making up his mind he thinks about something a lot. But if he has finally made up his mind he is absolutely determined. So he isn’t easily carried along. Maybe his careful and calm way of reflection explains his conservative behaviour. He is very attached to nearly all old things. What his forefathers did was always good. There is a saying that you can leave your loaded waggon in the poorest village in the Vogelsberg at night and not the slightest thing will be stolen. Theft and robbery are nearly unknown there.
(Translated from German by Heidi M. Schneider)
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