The beginnings

The game of boule can already look back at a long tradition in Aschaffenburg (Bavaria but still close to Frankfurt/Main). An important role held, besides, always already players who met - without belonging directly to a Boule-and Petanque association - in loose round in "Ottel's beer garden", the "Villa Luna" or simply on any place in the town to do the French national play. Thus it was also consistent that one of the biggest free places was "conquered" in Aschaffenburg, the theatre square, by the boule-players and developed to a living meeting place in the midst of the picturesque Old Town. Occasional more than sixty active players romped about there to compete in summer nearly daily in - not always to deadly serious - however, sometimes already to beer-blest - competition.

The theatre square rose to a "bouleparadise" in the city centre and offered a special scenery for boule-players from a lot of nationality and educational layers. Unfortunately, there could not remain so.

The move to the castle square / chestnut grove before the "Kornhäuschen"

It was clear that the theatre square would be reshaped, because the town wanted to see the place not further "unused" and worked around a draught for the transformation. By the will of the chief mayor, Klaus Herzog, the same mistakes which had given under his predecessor at just this place (from many citizens as an eyesore felt residential and commercial building) should be made not once again.

This time the citizens were involved in the plannings in a procedure unprecedented till then and thus the pure leisure community of the "freie Bouler" changed at times into the "initiative living theatre square" with the aim to receive the boule-players a place to continue there game there. The big echo of media and citizens on the initiative made the boule-players in the city centre fast a fact of a "Mediterranean atmosphere" for Aschaffenburg that the planners could no further ignore.

In spite of a skilful media work, much personal application however, also of the support by town planners and chief mayor soon became clear that the plannings for the theatre square hardly would leave space for a satisfactory play course. First against opposition existing of the state castle management, the castle square as well as the chestnut grove was got ready as a petanque-area for "test play". Since March, 2006 it is used extensively. The quite traditional "Drei-Königs-Boule-Tournament" of the "Freien Bouler", took place for the first time on the 06th of January, 2007 in the new play site.

So far, so well?

The game of petanque could maintain his location in the Aschaffenburger Old Town and still takes pleasure of big popularity. The players give to the town a breath of the "atmosphere", which they to themselves with pleasure famous: tourists stop and watch the activity on the castle square and on the ways, children are interested and some accidental passer-by is got by "Virus Boulensis", throws some balls and comes with the next opportunity with a sentence of own balls to the play. The "Freien Bouler" still get on as an ambassador of the French national sport and offer a platform for human meetings on the other side from state differences and age differences. This puts out a large part of the fascination of the skill play with which practically of every senses of achievement can achieve. The Petanque play has not least from the outset an integrative background: The rules were developed originally to allow the fair play with his companions to a French tied up in the wheel chair.


Although many players have become, in the meantime, "full members" of the local Bouleclubs, the atmosphere in the castle square still remains the a little bit special and inalienable. And thus there is - in spite of the great support by citizens, castle management, politicians and not least to the landlord of the "Schlappeseppel" (light, sanitary facilities and "catering") for which we thank courteously - still wishes for the improvement of the play company. Besides, the equipment of the chestnut grove with a road lighting which would be of benefit beside the players also for the numerously strolling tourists is urgent. There remains in this respect full of suspense...

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