What sounds like a German buddy cop movie is actually the title of an excellent annual military reenactment weekend that takes place at Vienna’s Heeresgeschichtliches Museum.
- Journey through medieval times with show fights and weapon demonstrations
- Historical musical entertainment included, as well as a market and medieval crafts
- 2020 dates: provisionally September 5-6
- See also: On wheels and tracks | Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
Uniforms and gunsmoke
“Montur und Pulverdampf” translates roughly as “Uniform and gunsmoke”, which hints at what you can expect from this event.
Travel back in time to experience several hundred years of military history through demonstrations, reenactments, and shows…all mixed in with food, music, and even a medieval market. And there’s a special section for entertaining the kids.
In contrast to its sister event, Montur & Pulverdampf predates modern warfare. So you watch admiringly as reenactment specialists demonstrate the art of sword fighting and archery, and the grounds of the host museum echo to the call of various cannons.
At the last event (2019), which I missed, highlights included:
- A “living chess” show, which I have no details on but has me imagining something like the famous chess scene in the first of the Harry Potter films
- Rhiannon, who continue the tradition of the medieval minstrels with their own music and interpretations performed on historical instruments
- Dresch-Flegel, who put on medieval shows, fights, and similar. They ended each day at Montur & Pulverdampf with a fire show, for example
- Trollferd, another group playing historical music as it was intended, from the late medieval through to early baroque
2020 dates and tickets
Swords are usually drawn over a mid-July weekend but the 2020 Montur & Pulverdampf will likely take place on the weekend of September 5th and 6th, 2020. And it all happens in the grounds of the Museum of Military History; you’ll need a ticket for that to get in.
Entry is, however, free if you’re wearing some kind of medieval costume. You probably won’t be packing your halberd and breastplate given airline excess baggage fees, but a smock and hat might do the trick.
How to get to the event
Check out the main article for the Museum of Military History for travel tips and subway/tram suggestions.