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Motif wagons for parades
Photo: [M] DER SPIEGEL; Photos: Oliver Berg / dpa; Federico Gambarini/dpa; Guido Schiefer / epd / IMAGO; Bettina Strenske / IMAGO
Sometimes their meaning is obvious, but often they are subtle: motif floats dominate carnival and carnival parades in many places. Some cars are presented in halls beforehand, some are kept secret until the end. And some of them are presented at a demo before the actual parade for a special occasion, as happened this year. The meaning is not always immediately apparent, and the cars are not always highly political. But in the north, east, south and west, a lot of attention to detail goes into the designs. We show ten selected specimens and explain their meaning.
The blind Cardinal Woelki in Cologne
He is a permanent guest at the Cologne Carnival, not as a person, but as a satire: Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki. For the fourth time, his face adorns a motif car. The background is, once again, the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and how the bishop dealt with it. Last year, investigators searched the churchman's residence, the archbishop's house in Cologne's city center. The core issue is the question of when Woelki knew about allegations of abuse against clergy. According to the accusation, he is said to have given false information in court, which he denies. The Jeckens Find: The cardinal cannot see the obvious because the ribbons of his miter cover his eyes.
Statement for tolerance in Braunschweig
Already on Sunday, the fools marched through the streets at the “Schoduvel” in Braunschweig. The motto was: “He, she, it, diverse and free – Brunswiek’s fools are there.” In times of discussions charged with identity politics, this should be a statement for tolerance. The makers of the local international tennis tournament were there for the first time with their own motif car. For the “Brawo Open” there was a double reason for the word game “30 Love” on their vehicle. On the one hand, the tournament is taking place for the 30th time this year. And on the other hand, the score "zero" in tennis is counted in English with the word "love" - which most people outside of the sport are probably familiar with in a different translation. So on the tennis court it's 30:0, but at carnival it's: lots of points for love.
Baerbock as an elephant in Cologne
On a Tuesday in January 2023, the German Foreign Minister accidentally declared war on Russia. At least that was how her statement before the European Parliament in Strasbourg could be misunderstood: "We are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other," she said in English. Your foreign office immediately tried to explain the words. Perhaps this refers to the porcelain that Baerbock tramples on the Cologne carnivalists' motif float. They make the minister appear as an elephant who carries her “values-based foreign policy” in front of her. She herself sometimes speaks of “values-based feminist foreign policy.” In any case, Baerbock is an esteemed politician internationally today, and if porcelain has broken, then perhaps it is more in relation to her party. Some Greens have been arguing with her since she advocated Eurofighter deliveries to Saudi Arabia. Perhaps, as was heard from the parliamentary group at the beginning of the year, the planes could be painted pink, "then at least they are feminist."
Prime Minister of the Rhine in Frankfurt am Main
Rhein says no - to the Greens: The motif car from Frankfurt am Main shows the Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein. After the state elections last year, the CDU man ended the green-black coalition. The parties had led the country together for ten years, the first time such a coalition had existed in a large country. Rhein could have continued with them, but he chose the Social Democrats in November. What may have felt just as rough for the Hessian Greens as symbolized here by the kick in the backside.
Brown for the brown in Cologne
Contrary to tradition, this motif float for the Cologne Rose Monday parade was shown publicly much earlier, at a demonstration against right-wing extremism. The president of the festival committee, Christoph Kuckelkorn, said that the carnival had learned from the past: in 1934, anti-Semitic cars rode on the train. “That must never happen again.” The character who pulled the trigger is called Kallendresser, loosely translated as “rain gutter shit.” The relief hangs on a building opposite the Cologne town hall and, according to one interpretation, was intended to symbolize the mockery of the self-confident Cologne citizens towards the politicians meeting in the town hall. Today the elimination falls to others, brown for the brown, you could say.
»From Russia with Love« in Düsseldorf
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in military fatigues, can hardly believe his luck: a churchman is kneeling in front of him in a clear pose, as shown in this Düsseldorf motif car by the sculptor Jacques Tilly. You can see Kirill I, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The high priest represents 150 million believers - and is a fanatical supporter of the Russian invasion. The war against Ukraine has “a metaphysical meaning,” he announced. And claimed: "The people in Donbass don't want gay parades" like those propagated by the West. Because they resisted this, their “resistance was violently suppressed.” He called Putin's rule a "miracle of God." No wonder: the regime was always good to him; according to reports from independent Russian media, Kirill I came to a billion-dollar fortune via winding paths. The love for the Russian ruler seems endless, "from Russia with Love" is written under the car.
“Ziethe Express” in Köthen
Monika Todte and Till Mormann from the Köthen Carnival Society in Saxony-Anhalt are refreshing the “Ziethe Express”. The train is based on a steam locomotive from the 90s series, Köthen is located on the Ziethe River. The carnival in the city has the motto: “Oh how wonderful: KUKAKÖ is turning 70!” The abbreviation stands for Kuh-Kaff-Köthen, a reminder that the place was once a central cattle trading center.
Sahra's new car driver in Düsseldorf
He carries her cloak: Sahra and her "new car driver," that's what the Düsseldorf Jecken call the man who walks behind the politician. It is Thomas Geisel, a companion of Gerhard Schröder, defender of Agenda 2010 - and former SPD mayor of Düsseldorf. Geisel is running for the newly founded Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht party in this year's European elections. The Düsseldorf Jecken show him with a noticeably red face. Is that joy or even a little shame?
The pumped up Alice Weidel in Cologne
Who made the AfD big? A clear answer was found in Cologne. From the Jecken's point of view, it was the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP who pumped up the Blues through their actions in the government coalition. Symbolized here by co-party leader Alice Weidel, who has grown significantly in size. Maybe just hot air?
The Flying Robert in Mainz
He should not be missing from this series: Robert Habeck, Minister of Economics, and since last year perhaps also Minister of Heat Pumps. The Green politician wanted to use a law to force the expansion of oil and gas heating systems. There was a dispute in the coalition and the reactions among the population were violent. The Mainz Carnival Association (MCV) built a theme car based on this episode. “Habeck has lost his grip on the heating law,” commented the MCV. The minister is thrown through the air in front of a heat pump. Habeck's outfit with hat and red umbrella is an allusion to the story of flying Robert from "Struwwelpeter". The protagonist was caught in a storm, which can also be said about Habeck.
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