Trabant fans celebrate in Anklam

The 29th International Trabant Meeting got underway at the airfield in Anklam on Wednesday evening. Jens Rüberg, chairman of the organizer Trabbi Buggy Club '93, had expected around 700 participants. Various program items are on the agenda until Sunday for fans of the GDR cult cars with two-stroke engines. From 1957 to 1991, around 3.1 million Trabant cars were manufactured in Zwickau, Saxony.

The meeting opened at 6 p.m. with the election of Miss and Mister Trabant-Treffen 2024. In the evening, a 90s party with DJs will follow in the marquee. Over the next few days, the schedule includes vehicle judging in many vehicle classes. Day guests will also be challenged in competitions such as gearbox throwing, beer can stacking, Trabi pulling and team jam pulling.

It is the third meeting after the corona-related break in 2020 and 2021, which had brought the organizer to the brink of existence. According to Rüberg, the association was able to restart the meetings thanks to financial support from Trabi friends. The association has been in existence for 30 years since fall 2023. In previous years, the event attracted an average of several thousand guests, mainly from East Germany. Many participants combine the event with a camping vacation and stay longer in Western Pomerania. The highlight of the meeting will be a rally through the old district of Anklam. A concert with fireworks will follow on Saturday evening.