The Fools' Court in Stockach

Angela Merkel, Norbert Blüm, Erwin Teufel, Kurt Beck, Winfried Kretschmann and Joschka Fischer not only share the world of politics, but also an unusual experience: they were all tried and sentenced by the Stockach Court of Fools. For more than 660 years, the "Hohe Grobgünstige Narrengericht" has ruled in Stockach, between Three Kings and shortly before Easter, with a document from 1351 as historical proof of this curious privilege.

After 1945, the court of fools regularly summoned politicians - always under the motto that they were guilty anyway. In 1997, Annette Schavan was the first woman to be summoned before the "Kadi" of 21 judges, which meant that the ladies were also included in the tradition of the court of fools. The punishments are no less bizarre: as a rule, the guilt of those convicted is settled with buckets of wine, with one bucket containing a whopping 60 liters. Only the former Bavarian Minister President Franz Josef Strauß was allowed to pay his fine in beer - an exception that proves the rule.

The court hearing, always in the presence of the accused, attracts attention far beyond the borders of Baden-Württemberg. The Fools' Court in Stockach is not only a political spectacle, but also a journey back in time to a centuries-old tradition that holds new curiosities and surprises in store with every trial.