Niederbergheim Wispelten 1888 Carnival Society, Inc.

The first documented evidence of a carnival society in Niederbergheim dates back to 1887–88.
At that time, however, no carnival events in the form we know today were held.
Interrupted by the war years of 1914–18, the club was permitted to be reestablished in 1936 by the Gau Cultural Office in Herne. At that time, the club’s headquarters were located at Heinrich Kühlen’s, who had a hall on the first floor where the carnival celebrations were held.
Under the name “Kern Europas,” a parade with a program was registered during this period. During the Nazi era, this was fraught with great difficulties and could only take place because of evidence of an old tradition that the elderly Mr. Kühle Pelsmann had preserved. He had been involved with the club since its very beginnings in 1888.
In 1937, 1938, and 1939, Carnival in Niederbergheim was a great success. The parades contributed significantly to this. During these years, the carnival society also had princes and prince-and-princess pairs.
In 1938, the club joined the Federation of German Carnivals and paid membership dues. The old name could not be retained, so the group was renamed the “Niederbergheimer Wispelten.”
During these years, carnival newspapers were painstakingly produced and printed in Arnsberg at the government printing office. They sold like hotcakes among the local population.
World War II brought the thriving club to a halt and left large gaps in its membership. Membership dues to the Federation of German Carnival were suspended following a letter that the then-president, Wilhelm Schröder, received while serving on the front lines in Russia.
When the old tradition was revived after the war, it was the St. Johannes Shooting Brotherhood that took on the role of organizer and patron of the carnival events.
In the years that followed, many Carnival events were held in Wreden Saal before the group moved to the dining hall at the newly built Schützenhalle in 1968 to host the first official Carnival session.
In the years that followed, the current honorary president, Lorenz Schröder, led the ever-growing number of carnival enthusiasts to their current size, consistently placing special emphasis on involving young people in these celebrations. Furthermore, the program of the Niederbergheim carnivalists is organized exclusively by local participants, who do so free of charge.
After Honorary President Lorenz Schröder stepped down, Paul Winnig succeeded him as president.
Thanks to the addition of a stage to the Schützenhalle, the carnivalists have been able to perform their program on a proper stage for several years now.
During these years, the desire was repeatedly expressed to stand on their own two feet again and thus carry on the tradition of their fathers and grandfathers.
At a founding meeting on October 16, 1987, the old carnival society “Niederbergheimer Wispelten 1888 e. V.” was revived.
Paul Winnig served as the first chairman and president from that day until the general assembly in 2006. At that general meeting, Paul Winnig was elected honorary president. Hans-Werner Schulte succeeded him.
Since 2010, Burkhard Löckener has held the office of First Chairman and President.