Since 1828, men in Bremen bet whether the Weser is frozen or not. On January 6 they have to give their tip, a good two weeks later it will be checked who was right. The procedure is called Eiswettfest and should collect donations for charitable purposes. Women are not welcome, the organizer is a pure men's club.
Traditionally, the mayor of Bremen is also present. The current, Carsten Sieling (CDU), but was prevented because he attended the funeral for the Danzig Mayor Pawel Adamowicz killed.
A woman at the ice festival?
In Bremen there is also a mayor: Karoline Linnert. Actually, could have moved up the Green politician, who is also Finance Senator. A woman wanted the organizers of the ice cream festival but apparently not have - and invited Linnert not. Bremen's mayor instead represented the Mayor of Bremerhaven, Melf Grantz.
Linnert reacted indignantly. "We're celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage in Germany - and the ice-cream still considers it right to exclude women under the guise of tradition," she criticizes on Facebook. Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) also rejected his participation in solidarity.
The organizers reject the criticism. "We are a gentlemen's club, do not take this Gendergaga with us, even the Pope would not be invited if he were a woman," cited the "image" organizer Patrick Wendisch. Linnert still wished the gentlemen via Facebook a nice evening.