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Popular Local Customs | Other Local Customs Tips | All Tips (7) Elzach in the Black Forest is one of the most traditional centres of the alemannic Fastnacht and member of the Viererbund together with Rottweil, Überlingen and Oberndorf. Elzach's Fasnet is one of the scariest - especially the torch parade at night.
The main figure in the Fastnacht of Elzach is the Schuttig. The red fringy Häs (costume, clothing) is worn with a green headcover, a triangular straw hat covered with snail shells and three red woollen balls, wood-carved mask, white scarf and gloves.
The things that look like balloons the Schuttig carries on a stick are in fact real pigs' bladders. Be prepared to receive some hits...
Fastnacht in Elzach begins on carnival Sunday at noon. A big parade takes place on Sunday afternoon (15.00), then there is the night parade (Sunday 20.00). Another parade is on Tuesday afternoon. Elzach can easily be visited from Freiburg with the help of the the Breisgau S-Bahn, no car needed.
See my Elzach page for more details and photos.
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Freiburg itself is home to 35 carnival guilds. All of them organize their own events, but on carnival Monday (14.00) they're all taking part in one big parade through the city centre. And even more: they invite other guilds from all over Baden-Württemberg to participate. Usually there are more than 120 groups in the parade.
An excellent opportunity to get an overview about those many, many varieties of nowadays' alemannic Fasnet. I recommend the parade in Freiburg to Fasnet newbies.
Nicest place to watch: Münster square. Be there by 13.15 if you want a place at the rails to have a good view for photos.
See my Freiburg page for more details and photos.
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If there is a "Number One" among Baden-Württemberg's traditional carnival centres, it is and must be Rottweil. The "Narrensprung", the big parade on Monday morning at 8 a.m., is the only alemannic carnival event that is shown live on TV during the high days. The tiny town will be overrun with tour buses, accommodation for the night from Sunday to Monday has to be booked months in advance.
Rottweil's fame is justified. So far I have never seen more precious and elaborate masks and costumes anywhere else. In addition to the five main types of "Narrenkleider" (costumes) there are a couple of single figures and the remarkable groups with the "horses".
Rottweil is a 'must see' for any Fasnet fan. But how to escape the crowds?
The solution is easy: Go there on Tuesday instead of Monday. There is another Narrensprung on Tuesday morning (again 8.00 a.m.) which is just like the one on Monday, and on Tuesday they're even doing another parade in the early afternoon. There are much less visitors in town on Tuesday, and accommodation from Monday to Tuesday is easier to get. I'd recommend staying overnight.
See my Rottweil page for more pictures and details.
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Oberndorf in the Neckar valley, situated between Rottweil and Horb, is another of the traditional centres of carnival (Fastnacht) in the South West of Germany and member of the Viererbund. Fastnacht is short here, activities last from Monday afternoon to Tuesday night. The big day in Oberndorf is carnival Tuesday, the main parade begins at 8.30.
The Narros, Hansels and Schantles are generously distributing sausages, pretzels, oranges and sweets - no need to buy lunch after the parade! Bring a bag. Everything has to be earned, though. For a pretzel or a handful of sweets they'll want you to either sing the Narro march or recite one of several complicated verses in Swabian dialect! They'll help, but they'll insist. Just try to repeat, the Swabian doesn't need to be perfect...
For further details and pictures, see my Oberndorf page
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Villingen is one of the oldest and most traditional centres of the alemannic carnival. The local carnival guild (Narrozunft) dates its foundation back to the year 1584. In addition to that there are several other younger guilds who are doing their separate events and parades. Through the High Days there is always something going on in town. Best day for visitors: Monday.
See my Villingen page for more details and pictures.
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Überlingen on the Bodensee is one of the most traditional centers of the alemannic Fastnacht and member of the Viererbund. The main figure is the "Hänsele" in his black and coloured costume.
Two big parades take place on the carnival weekend:
the "Hänselejuck" on Saturday night (20.00) when the dark streets are lit with bengalic fire,
and the parade on Sunday afternoon (14.30) in which many guilds and groups from Überlingen and surroundings participate.
It's worth staying overnight to see them both. Bring ear plugs unless you plan to party all night.
See my Überlingen page for more details and pictures.
The Fastnacht in Überlingen involves a lot of whip cracking. Have a look at the two videos there to see how the 4 m long whips are used (not for beating up people, no worries).
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Four of the five oldest, proudest and most traditional Narrenzünfte in Baden-Württemberg have associated in the 1950s and formed the Viererbund .
The members are:
Rottweil
Elzach
Oberndorf
Überlingen
These guilds aim at keeping their Fasnet tradtitions pure and undisturbed. They are considered and consider themselves, half-seriously and half-jokingly, the jester nobility. Once in three or four years these four guilds hold a big meeting. The next one is scheduled in the year 2010 in Oberndorf. Otherwise they won't go anywhere and won't allow any other guilds to join their parades and other events.
Background story: The first association of Alemannic carnival guilds was founded in the 1920s with the purpose of cultivating local customs and fighting restrictions by the authorities. During the following decades more and more new carnival guilds were founded and accepted as members of the association. The historical guilds, however, objected aginst giving these new members the same rights and value. The conflict escalated in 1953 when Villingen, Überlingen and Elzach resigned, Oberndorf and Villingen followed a few years later.
While the Narrozunft Villingen has celebrated its own Fasnet alone ever since, the other four have allied and founded the Viererbund in 1963.
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on July 11, 2008
