Wacken Stories: Franziska Dönnecke

Almost 30 years of W:O:A lead to many, many great stories – crazy, heart-warming, revealing, or just plain funny. To collect those stories, we have talked to the people that live, work or party around the „Wacken Holy Ground“. Their experience illustrate the festival’s extraordinary spirit, so have fun with special anecdotes which you won’t find everywhere else: Here are the „Wacken Stories“!

Franziska Dönnecke (in charge at Duhorn Pharmacy, purveyor of band aids and headache remedy)

„There are no questions that can shock us anymore“

There is no question that hasn’t been asked in Wacken’s Durhorn Pharmacy during the festival, and everyday there is something to laugh about. Especially when the nature of little ailments gets lost in translation…

„I’ve been part of every Wacken in one way or another. During the very first festival I was pouring drinks, later I took over the pharmacy from my mother. I still remember 1996, the year the W:O:A had grown considerably. The fans arrived on the Saturday, and my colleague and I were standing wide-eyed at the window of the pharmacy, absolutely fascinated by the endless stream of people in black. When I wanted to go home around noon that day, my co-worker had to bravely step onto the street, stand right in the middle and stop the cars. Otherwise I would not have been able to get off our premises with my car. By now we of course know how to deal with the traffic and approach the pharmacy from the backside, but back then we simply didn’t know any better.

After so many years of the Wacken Open Air, there is basically nothing that could shock us anymore. I guess, we have heard every question imaginable, and everyday there is something hilarious to laugh about. For the customers as well! Not long ago, a female colleague was giving extensive advice to an english-speaking visitor about infections of the bladder (German: „Blase“). As she was recommending a natural remedy, it turned out the fan actually had a blister on her foot (German: „Blase“). That was quite a funny moment for all.

Of course that one week is a lot busier than usual, but our partners and suppliers are well prepared for the festival and our needs. That’s why there are five or six deliveries being made every single day during that time, each consisting of up to ten big crates of drugs and remedies. Our ‚greatest hits’ are headache pills and band aids, this year the guests have been asking for cooling packs, mouth-covering masks and eye drops. If the grounds are muddy, there’s more need for disinfectant and pills against gastrointestinal infection.

During the festival, our pharmacy stays open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a bigger team than usual. But we always make a good time out of it, and everybody is really looking forward to that week – because the Wacken customers are really great!

Franziska’s wish for the 30th W:O:A, if anything was possible:

„The Boss Hoss. I missed them every time.“

Ann G. Jung

Do you want some more? All already released stories are available here!