A Miedelsbach fire brigade repurposes its maypole as a 29-metre flagpole, claiming it's Germany's tallest
In the small village of Miedelsbach near Stuttgart, volunteer firefighters have turned their 29-metre maypole into a giant flagpole, flying a massive black-red-gold banner that tops even the mast at the Reichstag in Berlin — at least until Germany wins the World Cup.
A maypole's second life
The volunteer fire brigade in Miedelsbach, a district of Schorndorf in Baden-Württemberg, had planned to dismantle their maypole as usual. Then a comrade had what firefighter Manuel Siegle called a "glorreiche Idee". Instead of stacking the timber, they stripped off the garlands, ordered a 3-by-5-metre German flag, and turned the pole into a flagpole. The crew used their turntable ladder to fix the banner at the top, which almost exceeded the ladder's reach.
Half a metre higher than Berlin
After hoisting the flag, the firefighters measured and researched. The flagpole in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin stands at 28.5 metres, Siegle told DPA. Their reused maypole reaches 29 metres. "That wasn't our intention — but we'll take it," he said. The Berlin pole carries the 60-square-metre "Flag of Unity", the largest federal flag in Germany, and the mast weighs 6.7 tonnes. The Miedelsbach flag is smaller but now flies from a taller shaft.
- Miedelsbach maypole
- 29 m
- Berlin Reichstag mast
- 28.5 m
World Cup fever at the fire station
The black-red-gold banner will stay aloft until Germany are world champions, Siegle said. The brigade plans to watch every Germany match together at the fire station, beneath what they believe is the country's tallest fan greeting.
