2023-11-10 15:12:00
November 11 in the Rhineland in Germany traditionally marks the beginning of the carnival season, which lasts until February-March, depending on the timing of the pre-Easter Lent.
In 2023, this day falls on a Saturday, so the number of visitors will be much higher than usual in the popular centers of Carnival celebrations – Cologne and Düsseldorf. This threatens to further exacerbate problems that have worsened significantly in the past two years as Carnival celebrations gradually resumed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Especially young people and teenagers seemed to be trying to catch up.
Is a street carnival getting out of control?
In Cologne, the situation around “Elfter im Elften”, as this November day is known here, has been deteriorating even earlier for many years and is now causing increasing concern both among residents of the city areas where celebrants gather and and among representatives of authorities, law enforcement agencies and owners of pubs and bars in these places.
Kwartier Latäng district in Cologne November 11, 2022Photo: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/picture alliance
The long-awaited holiday of November 11 has always been a massive and noisy event, but recently it has become overshadowed due to excessive alcohol consumption, an increase in the number of various types of offenses, fights and skirmishes, bodily injuries, an increase in aggression in general and other problems – in particular, natural needs – small needs on the streets, in entrances, parks and other public places. For recent violations, the maximum fine in Cologne has been increased to two hundred euros.
Such excesses have nothing in common with the celebration of a traditional carnival and are already leading to unexpected consequences that were previously unimaginable in Cologne.
According to the dpa news agency, in 2023, several popular pubs and other establishments announced that they would not work on November 11, including due to concerns about the safety of their employees, despite their love for the carnival and very high turnover. on days like this.
Forced measure for beer shop owners
“The experience of the last two years and the lack of a satisfactory organization and security concept on the part of the city of Cologne leave us with no other choice,” the traditional brewery and beer hall Brauhaus Päffgen in the Friesenplatz area said in a statement. Previously, some restaurants, pubs and bars (Kwartier, Oma Kleinmann, Tankstelle, Soylent Green and Engelbät) in the student quarter of Kwartier Latäng and neighboring areas reported refusing to operate on November 11th.
However, the messages from these establishments were generally supportive, judging by the reviews on social networks. “I don’t understand where we ended up with our traditions? What happened?” the local newspaper Kölnische Rundschau quotes this comment in its publication. Last season, the Cologne Carnival celebrated its 200th anniversary.
Police officers in Cologne November 11, 2022 Photo: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/picture alliance
Safety measures
It is impossible to say that the authorities are inactive, but the situation has still not been brought under control. As the dpa agency notes, in Cologne alone on November 11, about 1,000 police officers, 180 employees of the city public order department and more than 1,000 employees of private security companies will be involved.
One problem that cannot be solved is the large concentration of visitors in a few areas, although attempts are being made to redistribute the flows.
The start of the carnival season in 2023 will take place against the backdrop of events in the Middle East after the attack of the terrorist organization Hamas on Israel and the rise in manifestations of anti-Semitism.
In one of the districts of Cologne, where many people traditionally gather on November 11, the city’s largest synagogue is located, which is now under special protection. In this regard, the police asked celebrants to pay special attention to the choice of carnival clothes and costumes, and also to refuse fake weapons or toy weapons in order to avoid misunderstandings and dangerous situations.
In turn, in Dusseldorf, where the carnival is also widely celebrated, the authorities canceled the pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for that day in order not to complicate the situation and reduce the burden on the police.
See also:
#Beer #pubs #Germany #boycott #start #carnival