Haribo sweets exchange The rush is on: Chestnuts for gummibears
BONN. · Since early this morning, hundreds of people are gathered again on the old factory site of Haribo, arms filled with chestnuts and acorns.
“238 kilos!” - Thomas (25) and Christian (23) from Bergheim are very proud of their big yield. At the start of the 80th Haribo chestnut exchange, the two are at the front of the line and are completely drenched and tired. They have been camping out in the line at the old factory site since Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m. Behind them is a queue a hundred meters long. Haribo’s doors are open for the big exchange from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
In 1936, or exactly 80 years ago, company founder Hans Riegel Sr. asked the children in his neighborhood to collect chestnuts for the game on his hunting grounds. He offered the youngsters sweets in return. A huge event arose out of this barter transaction and families have travelled to Bonn for years from far and wide to be part of it. Now, the fruits of the forest are distributed to animals in the wilds of Germany and Austria. The Cologne Zoo also profits.
Sven Jacobsen of Haribo predicts cautiously that 2016 could be a record year. The situation is certainly favorable since the autumn holidays in Rheinland Pfalz and North Rhine Westphalia coincide with the exchange this year. “Because of that, it could be that still more people come this year,” commented Jacobsen.
The averages from past exchanges (10,000 collectors, 200 tons of chestnuts, 70 tons of acorns and a four and a half hour wait) will probably be exceeded this year. The highest yield was back in 2009 when 20,000 collectors brought in 260 tons of chestnuts and 150 tons of acorns - with an average waiting time of eight hours.
Achim Heidemann (45) has been weighing in his yield for 15 years and he knows the ropes. The really big rush is yet to come.
(Orig. text: Sebastian Meltz, Silke Elbern, Michael Wrobel, Carolin Hombach)
