Eurofurence
Encyclopedia
Eurofurence is a furry convention
held in changing places in Europe
every year. It was originally started in 1995 as a private gathering by nineteen European furry fans
who met on the Internet. Attendance has been steadily rising since then, to 1066 at Eurofurence 17 (held in 2011), making it the largest furry convention outside the United States
. The name of the convention derives from its American back-then-counterpart ConFurence
, emphasising the European nature of the gathering.
Since the year 2000, Eurofurence is no longer organized by individual persons but rather by the German Verein
Eurofurence e.V., which serves as an administrative body for the convention.
Contrary to most American furry conventions, Eurofurence traditionally took place at youth hostels. In 2007, Eurofurence was first held at a hotel (the Hotel Ringberg in Suhl
).
For Eurofurence 17 (2011), the core members of convention staff, and their areas of responsibility, are as follows, in no particular order:
Whilst these are some of the "key" members of staff, there are many more volunteers helping to make the convention a success by doing such tasks as leading events, setting up the stage and art show, teardown and pretty much anything else that needs doing.
Furry convention
A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom — people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and...
held in changing places in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
every year. It was originally started in 1995 as a private gathering by nineteen European furry fans
Furry fandom
Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
who met on the Internet. Attendance has been steadily rising since then, to 1066 at Eurofurence 17 (held in 2011), making it the largest furry convention outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name of the convention derives from its American back-then-counterpart ConFurence
ConFurence
ConFurence was the first exclusively furry convention, held annually in southern California from 1989 to 2003. The large furry presence at the BayCon science fiction conventions instigated Mark Merlino and Rod O'Riley to throw "furry parties" at Westercon, Baycon, and other west coast sci-fi...
, emphasising the European nature of the gathering.
Since the year 2000, Eurofurence is no longer organized by individual persons but rather by the German Verein
Eingetragener Verein
Eingetragener Verein is a legal status for a registered voluntary association in Germany and Austria. While any group may be called a Verein, registration as eingetragener Verein holds many legal benefits because a registered association may legally function as a corporate body rather than just...
Eurofurence e.V., which serves as an administrative body for the convention.
Contrary to most American furry conventions, Eurofurence traditionally took place at youth hostels. In 2007, Eurofurence was first held at a hotel (the Hotel Ringberg in Suhl
Suhl
- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
).
Core Staff
EuroFurence 1 was organised by Tes-Tui-H'ar and unci. Both are no longer involved with organising the convention.For Eurofurence 17 (2011), the core members of convention staff, and their areas of responsibility, are as follows, in no particular order:
- Cheetah — Chairman, various jobs on and behind the stage
- Nightfox — Vice Chairman, Consite Relations
- Loewi — Treasurer, Member of the Board
- BigBlueFox — Director Video and Hotel TV Broadcast
- Cairyn — Director Art Show, Con Book Editor
- Gyroplast — Director Dealers' Den, Chief of Security
- EosFoxx — Head of Charity Team
- Pinky — Guest of Honour Liaison
- Jaryic — Lead Stage Crew
- Jumpy — Lead Registration Team
- Mystifur — Lead FursuitFursuitFursuits are animal costumes made from various materials. They range from simple tails and ears to full costumes cooled by battery-powered fans. Fursuits can be worn for personal enjoyment, work or charity....
Support - o'wolf — Press Relations
- Riffuchs — Director Convention Operations, Director of Programming
- Luxen — Lead and Editor of Daily Eurofurence
- Kralle — Lead IT Infrastructure
- Nimrais — Lead Decoration
- Thalian — Lead Photoshooting
Whilst these are some of the "key" members of staff, there are many more volunteers helping to make the convention a success by doing such tasks as leading events, setting up the stage and art show, teardown and pretty much anything else that needs doing.
Locations
Eurofurence has been held in the following locations:- 1995-06-30 to 1995-07-03 : Kaiser-Wilhelm-KoogKaiser-Wilhelm-KoogKaiser-Wilhelm-Koog is a municipality situated along the North Sea coast in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.The municipality is located in and named after the polder , which was finished in 1874 and named in honour of German Emperor William I. The Koog is entirely...
, Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 1) - 1996-07-18 to 1996-07-22 : LinköpingLinköpingLinköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
, ÖstergötlandÖstergötland CountyÖstergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(Eurofurence 2) - 1997-08-21 to 1997-08-24 : Bodstedt, Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaMecklenburg-Western PomeraniaMecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 3) - 1998-08-01 to 1998-08-05 : HeezeHeezeHeeze is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Heeze-Leende, about 9 km southeast of Eindhoven.Heeze was a separate municipality until 1997, when it merged with Leende....
, North BrabantNorth BrabantNorth Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(Eurofurence 4) - 1999-07-22 to 1999-07-25 : BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 5) - 2000-08-10 to 2000-08-13 : GöttingenGöttingenGöttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, Lower SaxonyLower SaxonyLower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 6) - 2001-07-22 to 2001-07-25 : Kirchen (Sieg), Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 7) - 2002-08-15 to 2002-08-18 : Oberbernhards, HesseHesseHesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 8) - 2003-08-21 to 2003-08-24 : SamopšeSamopšeSamopše is a village and municipality in Kutná Hora District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. -References:*This article was initially translated from the Czech Wikipedia....
, Středočeský krajCentral Bohemian RegionCentral Bohemian Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative center is placed in the Czech capital Prague , which lies in the center of the region...
, Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(Eurofurence 9) - 2004-08-26 to 2004-08-29 : OlpeOlpe (district)Olpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.- History :...
, North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 10, commonly called EFX by the organisation committee) - 2005-07-21 to 2005-07-24 : Nürnberg, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence XI) - 2006-08-23 to 2006-08-27 : Nürnberg, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 12) - 2007-09-05 to 2007-09-09 : SuhlSuhl- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
, ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 13) - 2008-08-27 to 2008-08-31 : SuhlSuhl- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
, ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 14) - 2009-08-26 to 2009-08-30 : SuhlSuhl- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
, ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 15) - 2010-09-01 to 2010-09-05 : MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Saxony-AnhaltSaxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 16) - 2011-08-17 to 2011-08-21 : MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, saxony-AnhaltSaxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Eurofurence 17)
Themes
Since Eurofurence 8, Eurofurence has had a "theme" every year, with T-shirt designs and venue "dressing" to reflect same. The following list comprises the themes to date:- Eurofurence 8 (2002) - The F.I.A. (Furry Intelligence Agency)
- Eurofurence 9 (2003) - Cunning Little Vixens
- Eurofurence X (2004) - EFX : The Movie
- Eurofurence XI (2005) - Songs of the Old Ages
- Eurofurence 12 (2006) - The Hounds of Blackwhite Castle
- Eurofurence 13 (2007) - The Unlucky Thirteen
- Horrorfurence 14 (2008) - From Dusk till Dawn
- Eurofurence 15 (2009) - 1001 Arabian Nights
- Eurofurence 16 (2010) - Serengeti
- Eurofurence 17 (2011) - Kung Fur Hustle
- Eurofurence 18 (2012) - Animalia Romana
Guests of Honour
Since Eurofurence 5, Eurofurence has had a guest of honour almost every year (possibly except for Eurofurence 6&9). The following list provides an overview of the Guests of Honour so far:- Eurofurence 5 (1999) - Lisanne NormanLisanne NormanLisanne Norman is a science fiction author. She is best known as the author of The Sholan Alliance series...
, author of the Sholan Alliance series of books - Eurofurence 7 (2001) - Lisanne Norman; Lee "Chairo" Strom, Fursuiter, Puppeteer, and member of the Further ConfusionFurther ConfusionFurther Confusion, or Furcon, is an annual furry convention held in San Jose, California each January, celebrating the anthropomorphics genre or furry fandom, including charitable benefits, educational seminars, art shows, panels and general social activities...
organising team since 2003; Mark Merlino, co-founder of ConFurenceConFurenceConFurence was the first exclusively furry convention, held annually in southern California from 1989 to 2003. The large furry presence at the BayCon science fiction conventions instigated Mark Merlino and Rod O'Riley to throw "furry parties" at Westercon, Baycon, and other west coast sci-fi...
, the original Furry Convention - Eurofurence 8 (2002) - Dr Samuel "Uncle Kage" ConwaySamuel ConwaySamuel C. Conway is an American researcher in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and agrochemical fields of organic chemistry. He has a Ph.D...
, Chairman of AnthroconAnthroconAnthrocon is the world's largest furry convention, taking place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania each June or July. Its focus is on furries: fictional anthropomorphic animal characters in art and literature...
, the world's largest Furry Convention - Eurofurence X (2004) - Timothy AlbeeTimothy AlbeeTimothy Albee is the creator of Kaze, Ghost Warrior. He needed six months to complete the movie, using two computers. He also published the book.- Biography :...
, Creator of Kaze: Ghost Warrior - Eurofurence XI (2005) - Heather Alexander, Celtic Folk/World Rock Musician
- Eurofurence 12 (2006) - Dark Natasha, furry artist, winner of Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration at the Ursa Major Awards in 2002
- Eurofurence 13 (2007) - Lance Ikegawa, costume designer and Steve Gallacci, Creator of AlbedoAlbedoAlbedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...
(Steve Gallacci was unable to attend the convention due to family matters.) Alexander James AdamsAlexander James AdamsAlexander James Adams is an American singer, musician and songwriter in the Celtic and World music genres. He blends mythical, fantasy, and traditional themes in performances, switching between instrumental fiddle and songs accompanied by guitar, bodhrán, and fiddle playing...
appeared as musical guest. - Eurofurence 14 (2008) - Watts Martin, writer and fanzine editor/publisher, and once more Steve Gallacci.
- Eurofurence 15 (2009) - Jimmy Chin, furry artist and fursuiter
- Eurofurence 16 (2010) - Stan SakaiStan Sakaiis a third-generation Japanese American Cartoonist comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series Usagi Yojimbo. -Biography:...
, comic author, creator of Usagi YojimboUsagi Yojimbois a comic book series created by Stan Sakai in 1987. In 2011 IGN ranked Miyamoto Usagi 92nd in the top 100 comic books heroes.-Concept:Set primarily at the beginning of Edo period of Japan , with anthropomorphic animals replacing humans, the series features a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom... - Eurofurence 17 (2011) - Jim MartinJim Martin (puppeteer)Jim Martin is a puppeteer, best known for his roles on Sesame Street. As part of the cast, he has won an Emmy Award. He has been nominated multiple times, and won for "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling" at the Emmys, also for Sesame Street.-Early life:Martin graduated from St...
, a distinguished Puppeteer
Quotes
- "Anthrocon may be the biggest fur convention in the world, but Eurofurence is the best." - Dr Samuel Conway, EFX (2004)
Main events
- Pawpet show - Furry handpuppet story with custom plot, music and effects
- Stage fever - Fursuiting acting show
- Big Blue Dance - Disco with live DJ, light effects and live mixed background animations
- Group Photo
- Fursuit parade
- Art Auction - Bidding for art
- DDR Tournament
External links
- Eurofurence web site
- Eurofurence e.V. web site
- The Eurofurence forum
- Furry History, includes information on Eurofurence
- People at WikiFur: Dark Natasha, Lee "Chairo" Strom, Mark Merlino, Tes-Tui-H'ar, unci, Cheetah, Nightfox, Jumpy, Akeela, BigBlueFox, Cairyn, Chama, EosFoxx, Flutterby, Jaryic, o'wolf, somewolf, TaniDaReal, Tigerseye
- Other subjects at WikiFur: Eurofurence (font), Eurofurence e.V., Ursa Major Awards