carnival
First fools go to their knees at the expense
Foolish fun has its costs – and this year it is particularly difficult financially. photo
© picture alliance / dpa
Costs, costs, costs, also in the carnival. Everything is getting more expensive: the sweets, the security staff, the cleaning. In some places, the fools are already on their knees and canceling parades.
Foolish fun and skyrocketing costs – they don’t go well together. In a number of cities in Germany, carnivalists have to cancel their parades due to the high costs. Especially away from the big carnival strongholds, fools and jesters often just about hold their own against the omnipresent price increases.
Take Erfurt as an example: Thuringia’s largest carnival parade falls through again after the compulsory Corona break. The Erfurter Carneval Community (GEC) canceled the move planned for February 19. GEC President Thomas Kemmich cites rising costs for staff and security as the reasons. So it is not possible to organize the move in terms of scope, quality, safety and standards as usual.
The Leipzig carnival parade was only saved thanks to donations. After an appeal, enough money was raised, says the president of the funding committee, Steffen Hoffmann. The Rose Sunday parade was on the brink because of the sharp increase in costs for garbage disposal and medical services, for example, and the loss of income. Fools therefore collected via the Internet. “We know fundraising is a one-time thing.” Next time you will have to be more offensive and work harder to secure funding early on.
Five-digit additional costs expected
Even in the carnival stronghold of Rhineland-Palatinate, several carnival parades were canceled, for example in Frankenthal and Bingen. The reason given is usually high costs for increased security requirements. The five-digit additional costs to be expected were no longer proportionate for a two-hour move, says Frankenthal Mayor Bernd Knöppel (CDU).
The opposition parties in Rhineland-Palatinate blame the amendment to the Police and Regulatory Authorities Act, which came into force in 2021, for the stricter requirements. “Frustration instead of cheerfulness – all over the country, parades have been canceled in rows,” said CDU parliamentary group leader Christian Baldauf and called on the state government to set up an aid fund for carnival clubs and municipalities. Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) rejected the criticism: “Anyone who wants to continue playing Frohsinn in the team must be able to tell people that they can celebrate carefree.” This requires safety concepts.
Thuringia’s carnival stronghold Wasungen, unlike the state capital, wants to hold on to the traditional carnival parade. However, the higher costs for security, among other things, are also difficult to manage in Wasungen, says Carnival President Marcel Kissling. The funds for this alone made up about half of the calculated total costs for the move.
There are no carnival parades in Brandenburg. The “Train of Happy People” in Cottbus, probably East Germany’s largest again, is taking place for the first time since the pandemic. No parades were canceled at the Swabian-Alemannic carnival either.
Confectionery has become much more expensive
Schleswig-Holstein’s carnival stronghold Marne is sticking to the traditional parade despite the increased costs. “We’re going through with our event,” says the president of the carnival society, Heiko Claussen. But here, too, financial worries are pressing: If more sponsors are not found or if the previous ones contribute even more, reserves would have to be tapped – “that doesn’t work every year.” The current deficit: around 200,000 euros.
And inflation: Some confectionery prices have increased by up to 60 percent, says Elvira Reuther from the Nuremberg Fastnachtszug support association. Due to luck in disguise, too many were ordered in 2020, which is why there is still enough stock this time. However, it is already clear that the move will be more expensive. Twice as many staff are needed for security than in 2020.
Those who stand by the wayside on the Rose Monday parade in the Rhineland could get fewer camels than before. Because sweets have become more expensive, some train passengers don’t have as much with them. Camels or not, the rush of visitors is likely to be large: “I think that if it doesn’t rain cats and dogs that day, then we can definitely expect an increased rush of people,” says Cologne train manager Holger Kirsch. “This is due to the fact that there hasn’t been a regular Shrove Monday procession for two years. Of course, there is no substitute for the procession.”
The festival committee in Cologne does not comment on the costs in detail. The train is generally “deficit”, that’s no secret.