Basel’s Best Battle

Forget the Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Capulets and Montagues, the real rivalry here in Basel is between St. Johann and Matthäus. Not only is their feud an ancient one, but they take care to revive it every year in an event called Die Grosse Wasserschlacht (Great Water Fight) 4056 vs 4057.

Armed with a whole battery of pet bottles, water pistols, plant sprayers and balloon bombs, the two warring sides first line up their forces at either end of the Dreirosenbrücke and then, at a signal from their commanders, fire their opening salvo. The ensuing battle quickly descends into a free-for-all, in the course of which everyone gets exceedingly wet, which is actually the whole point of the exercise.

Like Fasnacht, the Great Water Fight is a chance for participants to give their imagination free rein. The outfits they create for themselves, the shields, the weaponry and the war machines, are something to behold. The photos shown here were taken in 2018, when conditions were almost as hot and dry as they are now: figure 1 shows a 4057 infantry unit manning the catapult for balloon bombs, figure 2 a phalanx of 4056 in full battle gear, and figure 3 a marksman taking aim at advancing enemy troops.

This year’s Great Water Fight of 2026 is to take place on the Dreirosenbrücke on Saturday, 22^nd August. The massing of troops will begin at either end of the bridge at 14.00, and the battle proper will commence at 15.00. Belligerents (bona fide residents of St. Johann or Matthäus) are welcome, but you can also come along just to watch – and get wet.

By Bronwen Saunders