The first "Popráci" straw bale rolling competition took place in September 1737 between German Rixdorfers and Protestant refugees from Bohemia who had settled here. Banned in 1912 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, the tradition was revived in 2008 by the local artists' group Künstlerkolonie Rixdorf. See history below.

The annual contest takes place around the blacksmith's, Rixdorfer Schmiede, on Richardplatz, the historic heart of the former village of Rixdorf, which is now part of the Neukölln district, just south of Berlin's city centre.

Consider yourself lucky that it's not Fidel Castro making the opening speech.

Bärbel and Paul lead the supporters in cheering the sportsmen on to victory.

After all the huffing and puffing, there's nothing like getting up on the stage, holding the glittering prize aloft, enjoying the accolade and the savouring the prospect of a cold beer. A bitter disappointment for the losing teams, but there's always next year, guys.

The first Popráci straw bale race in September 1737 was a contest between German Rixdorfers and Protestant refugees from Bohemia (today part of the Czech Republic) who had been invited by the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I to settle there. At the time Rixdorf, founded as Richardsdorp in 1360, was a small farming community outside Berlin.

The competition was dreamed up by the German village mayor Friedrich Fetzke und the Bohemian community leader Bohumil Pachl in an attempt to get the two communities together and defuse inter-cultural tensions, especially between the young men, which often led to violence. Apart from the obvious clash of cultures, customs and languages, the local Germans understandably begrudged the fact that the Czech newcomers were given exemption from taxation and military service. This was part of Friedrich Wilhelm's incentive policy to draw workers and skilled craftspersons to Berlin and encourage economic growth. Such incentives, which included a promise of religious freedom, drew oppressed minorities such as Moravians and Huguenots from all over Europe, particularly France and the Netherlands.

The Strohballenrollen, which took place on the second September weekend, just after the harvest, was an ideal way of letting young men show off their strength and let off steam, as well as an opportunity for people to get to know each other. The prize for the winning team was 2 gold ducats, which would buy quite a few beers back then. The prize money was hidden in one of the straw bales, so presumably there would have been an entertaining bale-demolishing frenzy at the end of the race. Over the years the village sports event drew in participants and spectators from all over the Berlin area and grew into a large popular festival.

Legend has it that the name Popráci originated from the fact that when Germans would invite their Bohemian neighbours to get together, the industrious Bohemians would answer "po práci", which means "after work" or "after the work is finished". Does this make the Popráci the original after-work party?

By 1911 the compettion had taken place 174 times. However, in 1912, during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Rixdorf and other settlements were almagamated into the new district of Neukölln. At the same time the Popráci was forbidden. The tradition was revived in 2008 by the local artists' group Künstlerkolonie Rixdorf, and has once again become a lively, popular event. Typisch Berlin.

Team angel Paul

Visit the My Favourite Planet Group on Facebook.