Celebrating the Augsburg Peace Festival in Germany: dates, congratulations, greetings, traditions and customs

Dates for the Augsburg Peace Festival celebration in Germany

The date of the Augsburg Peace Festival celebration in Germany remains unchanged every year and falls on 8 August. See calendar.

The Augsburg Peace Festival celebration date in Germany falls on Saturday, 8 August 2026 this year.

Below is a list of dates for celebrating the Augsburg Peace Festival in Germany by year, provided that in previous and subsequent years the present practice and time of the holiday celebration is preserved:

• (Fri) 8 August 2025 - Augsburg Peace Festival 2025GermanyGermany
• (Sat) 8 August 2026 - Augsburg Peace Festival 2026GermanyGermany
• (Sun) 8 August 2027 - Augsburg Peace Festival 2027GermanyGermany

Holiday status in the territory of Germany, brief information

Holiday name in German

Augsburger Friedensfest

Holiday status

The holiday is an official extra non-working day only in the state of Bavaria only in the city of Augsburg.

Other names of the holiday

Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest / Day of Peace in Augsburg / Augsburg Peace Festival / Friedensfest

How Augsburg Peace Festival is celebrated in Germany: customs and traditions

The Peace Festival in Augsburg (aka the Augsburg High Peace Festival) has been celebrated annually since 1650 and is an official public holiday in one German city - Augsburg in Bavaria.

Once every three years, during the Festival, the Augsburg Peace Prize is awarded to people who have made a particular contribution to the cultures and religions tolerant and peaceful coexistence. The prize is issued in the amount of 12'500 euros (as of 2018). Besides, the Augsburg Festival jury chooses a children's drawing, which becomes the official drawing of the holiday.

On this day, various events dedicated to peace and unity, as well as worship services, take place.

The origin of the Augsburg Peace Festival

From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years’ religious War was fought in the Roman Empire between Protestants and Catholics of the German Empire. The war resulted in terrible loss of human lives. Hostilities, famine and epidemics resulted in a number of regions in Germany being completely devastated. During the war, August 8, 1629, witnessed issuing the Edict of Restitution that triggered pressure on the Protestants of Augsburg to transfer their property to the possession of the Catholics; they were forbidden to practice their faith, which led to further conflicts and hostilities. Finally, on May 15 and October 24 in 1648, peace treaties were signed, collectively known as the Peace of Westphalia, which resulted in improving the situation regarding religious beliefs in Augsburg. The possibility of Protestants and Catholics peaceful coexistence, as well as the opportunity to practice their faith, served as the Augsburg Peace Festival basis.

Since 1984, the Catholic Church has officially celebrated this holiday along with Protestants.

Photos, pictures for the holiday

Cathedral in Augsburg

Augsburg, city square