Burg-Herzberg-Festival 1968

The first edition on 7 July 1968 was not a concert but a battle of the bands. It was staged by the beat group The Petards from Schrecksbach, who wanted to create a central festival for German beat and rock music — the larger festivals of the day, Burg Waldeck and the Essener Songtage, served different genres and audiences. Among the competing acts were The Merchants, who won, The Misfits from Giessen, and The Rackets and The Blue Moons from Göttingen; the Petards themselves played as the headline act. The date was a rescheduling: the "Burg-Beat-Show" planned for 1 May 1968 had been rained off and moved indoors. This marks the beginning of one of Germany's oldest open-air festivals, held at the Herzberg castle ruins above Breitenbach in East Hesse.