Chancellor Merz to speak at traditional Libori Feast in Paderborn

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to be the guest of honor at the traditional Libori Feast in Paderborn today. He will deliver a keynote address at the historic town hall, hosted by the Libori Guild, a long-standing association of entrepreneurs and citizens dating back to 1449. The guild's gatherings have historically featured simple Westphalian cuisine.

Before his speech, Merz will inscribe his name in the city's Golden Book at the historic town hall. The Libori Feast is a central event within the broader nine-day Libori festival, a period often referred to as the "fifth season" in Paderborn. The festival holds significant religious origins, commemorating the arrival of the relics of St. Liborius in 836.

St. Liborius, the second bishop of Le Mans in France, is now the patron saint of Paderborn's cathedral, diocese, and the city itself. The festivities officially began yesterday with the traditional barrel tapping ceremony led by the mayor and the "elevation" of St. Liborius's relics from the cathedral's crypt to the choir. Today, a procession will carry the saint's shrine through the city. The secular aspect of the Libori festival features a large funfair with approximately 150 showmen on Liboriberg.