Fools invite you to the season opener: Wasungen celebrates anniversary
In Thuringia, the jesters take over the sceptre again on Saturday. In many places, the fifth season begins punctually at 11.11 a.m. with town hall storms and key handovers. "It is estimated that around 75 percent of the 336 clubs in Thuringia hold a carnival opening on 11.11", said Christoph Matthes, President of the Thuringian Carnival Clubs Association (LTK).
This year, the season opening at the Narrenburg in Wasungen in southern Thuringia is a particular focus, he continued. "This year marks the 500th anniversary of the first mention of the Thuringian street carnival." In the carnival stronghold, the jesters are celebrating this year under the motto "Hüsch wäerd's wärn" - the state association is adopting the motto in High German: "500 years of street carnival in Thuringia - it's going to be pretty".
This year, Cologne has boasted 200 years of Rose Monday parades, said Matthes. "Cologne is seen as the crown of creation. But many people don't realize that the roots are much earlier - and in Thuringia, among other places."
In Erfurt, where the 2023 carnival parade was canceled due to cost increases, this year's celebrations will once again feature a full programme. At 11.11 a.m., the jesters invite you to a jester's wake-up call. And the parade for 2024 has been secured, Matthes said. "It was a long struggle, but in the end the Erfurt Carnival Community received funding from the city council." This means that all 90 or so parades in the state will take place.
In Wasungen, the jesters are celebrating the 500th anniversary of their street carnival under the motto "Hüsch wäerd's wärn," making it a highlight of this year's carnival season opening. Despite Cologne's famous 200-year tradition of Rose Monday parades, Matthes points out that the roots of carnival can be traced back much earlier, including in Thuringia.
Source: www.dpa.com
