Malbroek trial

An old folk custom in Kessenich.

On Fair Thursday, people have been celebrating “Malbroek begraven” (burying Malbroek) for many years. This tradition dates back to 1712. John Churchill (1650-1722), later Duke of Marlborough, became a general at a young age. He abandoned the king and defected to William II. The latter charged him with leading a British expedition against France, which was fought in the Netherlands. His troops wreaked havoc in many regions, earning him a bad reputation. Every year in Kessenich, a straw doll representing Malbroek is set on fire on the Antjesbrug bridge and thrown into the stream.

In recent years, a whole trial has even been staged in which Malbroek is accused of everything that went wrong in the village over the past year. The verdict is predetermined: death by burning.