In 1475 the Duchy of Landshut became the centre stage for the most lavish celebration of the late Middle Ages: The wedding of Duke Ludwig the Richs' son Georg to the Polish princess Hedwig (Jadwiga), the daughter of King Kasimir IV of Poland. The reasons for the wedding were solely geopolitical. The union was to form the largest Christian bulwark against the approaching Turkish troups on the South. The wedding was of such importance that the celebrations allegedly lasted 23 days with everybody of standing and reputation in Europe present. The groom's father Ludwig the Rich proved to be of an exceedingly generous nature. In todays terms the wedding cost him approximately fifteen million Euro.
On 14. November 1475 the Polish court with an entourage of 650 horses and 300 aristocrats arrived in Landshut. As travelling in the Middle Ages was very difficult the journey from Krakow had lasted three months.
Immediately after her arrival in Landshut Hedwig entered St. Martin's Church where her future husband was awaiting her and where they were married. The following celebrations were attended by ten thousand invited guests and the whole township of Landshut. They turned into the most lavish event the Middle Ages had seen.
The wedding and the following celebrations were chronicled in great detail. Today's festivities known as the Royal Wedding at Landshut are based on written notes and murals which can be found in the main room of the Town Hall. They were painted by artists from Munich during the early 1880s. In 1903 enthusiastic locals formed an organisation called "Die Förderer e.V." who in the same year organised the pageant which has since been staged every four years. The organsiation still continues to organise the event.
Nowadays the Royal Wedding at Landshut is one of the biggest historical pageants in Germany. The highlight of the festival is the actual re-enactment of the royal wedding including the procession as Princess Hedwig enters the town. Then the wedding procession, accompanied by drummers, pipers, falconers, knights, the Emperor and the Polish nobility passes through the authentic backdrop of Landshut towards the medieval camp on the tournament field. There hundreds of participants re-enact medieval life including horseback games and knights' competitions.
