Festive Cities: The Evolution and Adaptation of the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg Schulbasar

Within a burgeoning international festival scholarship South Africa emerges as a major ‘growth pole’ in the literature. It is in this context of vibrant international and local debates that the article offers a modest contribution on a little researched aspect of festival development in South Africa. The focus is upon festive cities and the evolution, management and organizational adaptation of one distinctive cultural festival which is a celebration of German culture in South Africa. The case study is of the evolution and change of the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg Schulbasar. Within the literature on festival tourism the case study is distinctive because of its history which dates back to 1905 as well as the fact that the institutional organisation of this festival is undertaken by the school as a major fundraising initiative. The organisation of this festival linked to school management which undertook a number of adaptations to how the festival was organised whilst constantly seeking to retain its central objectives of highlighting German traditions. Arguably, the greatest challenge in the over 100 years of the Schulbasar’s existence has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which changed the festival from a physical event to a virtual event part of which involved a charity fundraising drive.