Pumpkin madness: Mathias Gerber swims 50 meters in the huge pumpkin!

Pumpkin madness: Mathias Gerber swims 50 meters in the huge pumpkin!

Ludwigsburg, Deutschland - The year 2007 became the turning point for the pumpkin exhibition in the flowering Baroque (Blüba) in Ludwigsburg. 17 years ago, Mathias Gerber dared an extraordinary bet on the popular television program "Wetten, dass ..?". Gerber sat inside a pumpkin weighing 400 kilos and tried to cross a 50 -meter -wide lake. This bizarre campaign, which took place under the supervision of the show master Thomas Gottschalk, not only attracted enthusiasm on the show, but also significant attention for the pumpkin exhibition itself.

Mathias Gerber looks back on November 10, 2007 with a smile when he appeared. "It was freezing cold, poured and stormed," he recalls. But when the camera ran and the bet started, the weather suddenly improved. Gerber had only five minutes to cross the lake, which he ultimately succeeded in 4:30 minutes - "there would have been air," he jokes. The framework of this bet was supported by the itching brothers who had launched the pumpkin exhibition.

The big show appearance

Gerber was not only a candidate, but also the head behind the events of the pumpkin exhibition in Ludwigsburg, where he carved events such as pumpkins and organized the pumpkin regatta. The idea of "betting, dass ..?" Participation came to him one evening 2005 - a year later he was invited to participate. Gerber suspects that his appearance of the exhibition has given a big thrust, especially since autumn and the pumpkin exhibition are inextricably linked today.

After the competition, the emotional moment was imminent: Mathias Gerber had to assert himself in the bet against Tim Vetter, who organized a street race with his Labrador Lucky. Gerber was already clear that the chances of the title as a betting king against the popularity of the dog bets were low. "Dog bets always win," he added with a wink.

long -term effect

The reactions to the spectacle were overwhelming. Volker Kugel, the then head of the Blüba, described the atmosphere: "1000 people cheered Mathias Gerber am See, and more than 13 million viewers were there live." This ceremony went hand in hand with the transfer of the European Championship in the pumpkin cradles, which SWR also broadcast in the Blüba. "Both gave us a real thrust," said Kugel. He emphasizes that the previously little -known pumpkin exhibition has experienced a significant increase in popularity through these events, which explains its growth and the constant increase in visitors in the following years.

With so much attention, it is no wonder that the pumpkin exhibition is still in the public interest today. Autumn in Ludwigsburg is hardly conceivable without the pumpkin exhibition. An encounter with colorful diversity and creativity that offer pumpkins has now become an integral part of the region's cultural calendar.

Opening times in Blüba

Pumpkin exhibition 2024 in Blüba: August 23 to November 3. November

Opening times: Exhibition: 9 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.