article by Anna Lipphardt
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| anna in the middle of the nomadic kitchen |
(teaches Cultural Anthropology at the University
of Freiburg where she also directs the research group Cultures of Mobility in Europe)
Because the NOMADIC VILLAGE this year happens
to be located right next to St. Anna Church in Cerkno, here are some spotlights
on the complex interrelations of travelers and church. While alternative
travelers come mostly from subcultural, leftist milieus and are thus rather
antagonistic or indifferent to all things religious, though some take religiously inspired good luck charms onto
the road.
For traditional travelers, that is circus
people and travelling show people, puppeteers or market vendors, religion is
very important, in many spheres of their lives. Their experiences and practices
in respect to the church open surprising perspectives on the interrelation of mobile
and sedentary members of society, as well as on the question what constitutes a
community.
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| good luck charms in the cars of former and current nomadic village inhabitants |
In regular, local communities, members go to
church, a prominent building in the center of the village or town, with the
priest holding a position of great social power. The local priest is usually
the first person to go to for travelers arriving at a new place, because of the
church’s doctrine to provide support to everyone in need. In Germany, as in a number of other European
countries, the Catholic and the Protestant Church have both established
specific mobile units providing pastoral care to occupational travelers (for
more see here and here).
Instead of community members coming to the church, these priests travel within
a specific district to meet their community members, wherever these set up
their shows or attractions. Instead of using a local church, religious services
are held on the premises that serve as the temporary work space and home base,
in an auto scooter or circus tent temporarily converted into a church. With
this constellation the power relation between priest and community changes
radically. First of all, while local communities are stuck with their priest,
for good or bad, travelers can decide to accept a priest into their community –
or not. It is the priest who is the outsider who has to earn the trust of
his/her constituency. Priests who have worked with both types of communities,
say it takes 1 to 2 years to get accepted by local residents, but between 5 to
7 years to be really let in by travelers. If one has gained their acceptance
though, the encounters with community members – which take place with long
temporal intermissions in-between – tend to be much more immediate and cordial,
and extend far beyond purely religious affairs. In fact, the travelling priests
today often assume an important position as lobbyists and interlocutors,
mediating between local authorities or individual local residents on the one
hand and travelers on the other.
For many travelers it not to so important, if a
Catholic or a Protestant priest marries them or baptizes their kids, and for
some of the priests this confessional division also does not seem to be
crucial. One protestant priest, who has worked with travelers for over 20
years, has e.g. adopted the baptism ritual – instead of declaring a baptized
child, a new member of the Protestant
Church, he declares: “You are now a member of the Travelling Community.”
(“Du bist jetzt ein Mitglied der Reisenden Gemeinde.”) Way to go for the rest
of the Church…
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| tinski's working materials |
