Their Karneval Exploring the Joys and Follies of Carnival Season in Germany

March 2020 The German Times – Life 23 IMAGO IMAGES / CHAI VON DER LAAGE This is going to be fun! Or not. their Karneval Exploring the joys and follies of carnival season in Germany ebrate the end of winter – the origi- child to take part in the one-day The latest victim came in 2019, Friedrich Merz, the man AKK Hitler – Karneval im Dritten Reich BY J. J. HAGEDORN nal pagan party upon which Kar- Fasching celebrations held at day- when Germany’s current defense referred to as a “revenant,” would (Alaaf and Heil Hitler – Karneval in neval rests – and allow themselves care or school. For others, it might minister, Annegret Kramp-Karren- be their guest speaker on Feb. 26: the Third Reich) and a subsequent n this era of global pandem- to be everything they’re otherwise mean enduring a week of seem- bauer (AKK) – at the time Angela the 1,300 tickets to that event sold book of the same name in 2009. ics, it’s hard to imagine anyone not. ingly endless coverage of the events Merkel’s successor as party leader out in a matter of days. Their work details the manner in Ihaving any interest in a folk When walking the streets of any on German public TV, which of the Christian Democrats – made Needless to say, you would never which the Nazis pursued the goal tradition that involves repeatedly Karneval-related street celebra- preempts regular programming a number of appearances immedi- catch Angel Merkel – the daughter of Gleichschlatung – the steady pro- being pecked on the cheek by a tion in Germany, one is confronted for days of parades and festival ately after attending the Munich of a Lutheran pastor from a small cess of enforced conformity in every steady flow of complete strangers. with the full breadth of costumed speeches. After last year’s events, Security Conference. Among them town in northern (East) Germany aspect of society, including Karne- And the tradition is made even revelers: there are witches, French the Hamburg-based comedy show was a 25-minute performance – making such an appearance. As val – alongside the propagation of more inconceivable if we add packs soldiers, Roman soldiers, packs Extra3 celebrated the end of carni- dressed as a cleaning lady named AKK’s experience has shown, the a Volksgemeinschaft (national com- of tipsy women roving the streets, of angels, pirates, Marvel heroes val, noting “Now we can turn the Gretl in which she claimed, among type of role reversal that takes munity) and other fascist ideas. The sharp scissors in hand, intent on and thousands more. There is no TV on again without having our other things, that German Minister place at these regional carnival Nazis instrumentalized Karneval as snipping off the tips of men’s ties. age limit; participants can be any- IQs automatically cut in half.” of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier events runs a very tangible risk of a “national” custom, thereby remov- But no worries if you can’t imag- thing from zero to 100 years old. But enough of the party-poopers. (CDU) had been passed over for not translating well to the national ing much of the regional identity ine these and other amusing cus- However, as this is Karneval and In 2018, one Cologne merry- the position of foreign minister stage. In other words, at its worse, of local celebrations and seeking toms being carried out in our time, everything is topsy-turvy, small maker dressed as a 19th-century on account of his weight. She also Politischer Aschermittwoch is a mine- to replace them with rituals focus- it only means you’ve never experi- children can also expect to have soldier noted that there’s no way called her CDU-rival Friedrich Merz field for politicians, a feeding-frenzy ing on Kraft durch Freude (strength enced Karneval in Germany. the candy given to them by a com- to explain Karneval: “It’s like an “the revenant of German politics” for journalists and a nightmare for through joy). They also removed Every year, the festive season plete stranger stolen right out from infection,” he said, drink in hand. and insisted that the SPD party’s publicity managers. At its best, it’s one of the fundamental purposes known as Karneval, Fastnacht or under their nose by yet another “It just appears one day, and by proposal for a new Grundrente, or politics as usual, just with costumes, of Karneval: to mercilessly criticize Fasching officially gets underway complete stranger. Ash Wednesday, it’s gone.” While old-age pension, was “the most beer and orchestral rimshots after those in power. In its place, carnival on Nov. 11 at 11:11 am. In Catholic North Americans would do well it might sound like this drunken expensive self-therapy the SPD has every joke. clubs were encouraged to make fun cities throughout the Rhineland to imagine it as an unruly union of soldier has a condition that should ever asked German taxpayers to pay Still, there have been a number of of foreign leaders, such as Joseph and elsewhere, costumed revelers Easter and Halloween, with a dash definitely be looked at by a doctor, for.” Although AKK (pronounced encouraging signs coming out of Stalin and New York Mayor Fiorella storm town halls and loudly seize of Spring Break and Mardi Gras Karneval universe in the past several La Guardia, and to deliberately ridi- power – but only symbolically, and thrown in for good measure. In fact, years. In contrast to disturbing news cule Jewish citizens. only for a day. This prank marks the the celebration known in the US as that the number of Wildpinkler (wild In one anti-Semitic float that beginning of what Germans call the Mardi Gras – established by French Not all politicians take part urinaters) remains high and the made it to the Cologne Rosenmon- “fifth season,” a period that lasts settlers in Alabama and Louisiana ongoing suspicion that parade par- tag parade in the Nazi era, revelers right up to Ash Wednesday, when in the 18th century and literally in this form of revelry, but ticipants are giving their horses sed- dressed as orthodox Jews stood all the balls and parades come to an translatable as “fat Tuesday” – also atives to help them make it through next to a sign saying “The last ones end and Lent begins. marks the last day of the German when they do, the result is Rosenmontag, the emergence in 2019 on their way out.” As Dietmar and Most people equate Karneval version of carnival, albeit under the of the Kölsche Kippa Koepp, (liter- Leifeld are careful to point out, Kar- with the series of events that takes name Fastnachtdienstag or Faschings- almost always regrettable ally the Cologne yarmulke heads), neval organizers in the Third Reich place in the final six days of this dienstag. An experience similar to an official Jewish carnival group were often willing participants in long fifth season. In fact, the unbri- the events associated with Rio’s eager to reinvigorate the tradition such approaches. Plus, starting in dled stream of drunken celebra- Carnaval, the ultimate idea behind he’s nevertheless onto something. ah-ka-ka) had played the character of Jewish participation in the fes- 1935, members of official Karneval tions in Cologne, which begins on the German merry-making is to The only real answer to the ques- many times before – back when she tivities, was greeted with cheers. clubs were required to show their the abovementioned tie-snipping celebrate and engage in precisely tion as to why Karneval is so popu- was minister president of Saarland Its founders took inspiration for Arier-nachweis – an identity card Weiberfastnacht (Old Wives’ Day) those things they’ll not be able to lar, of course, is that it’s just a lot of – and her timing and performance their club’s name from the Kleiner that proved they had no Jewish and runs until Ash Wednesday, do as soon as Lent kicks in. fun for a lot of people. were solid, she was now in a signifi- Kölner Klub (Small Cologne club), a blood – or otherwise be excluded is usually what garners the most However, not everyone is so Karneval also provides countless cantly greater position of power as bowling association founded in the from membership. attention in Germany and abroad. gung-ho about the southern rev- costume artists and float design- head of the CDU and accordingly 1920s that quickly gained popularity This was a dark period in the his- What is it exactly about this fes- elry. Those who live in northern ers with a variety of opportunities received much greater criticism for among the city’s Jewish residents, tory of Karneval, one that limits tival that prompts large groups of Germany’s traditionally more Prot- to make bold social and political her portrayal of a character who but was dissolved after the Nazis any subsequent jesters’ insistence otherwise straight-laced Germans estant areas have been known to statements on current issues: there was precisely the type of person came to power in 1933. on their right to be unabashedly to ignore threats of a pandemic watch the goings-on in the south have been memorable recent floats her party has traditionally left in the At the fifth-season launch held at politically incorrect during the fifth and abandon their stark adher- with slight irritation and puzzle- depicting the VW emissions scan- lurch. the Tanzbrunnen stage in Cologne season. ence to stereotypically rigid rules ment. And there are always some dal, Brexit, right-wing dictatorships It was yet another speech, how- last November, the Kölsche Kippa And it’s true, for all of its revelry, of social conduct? While we’ve all Karneval-resistant residents of and an endless array of large-scale, ever, in which she referred to the Köpp was invited by the city’s oldest Karneval will always be a seri- seen images of Germans in Leder- southern German towns who vow mobile commentaries on political “Latte Macchiato faction” in Berlin carnival club (Die Grosse von 1823 ous business.

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