Criticism of the authorities: fools demand more support for Fasnet!

Criticism of the authorities: fools demand more support for Fasnet!

The traditional meeting of the Neckar-Gäu friendship ring took place in Horb on October 26, 2025. This event, at which numerous representatives from the world of fools came together, has the main aim of discussing the current challenges facing fools' guilds. Guild master Andreas Elsässer and numerous other personalities, including the future mayor Michael Keßler as well as mayor Annick Grassi and mayor Ferdinand Truffner, came together to take part in this important round of discussions. One of the main questions was sufficient support from the authorities, which was sharply criticized by ring president Thomas Fischer.

Fischer introduced the friendship ring, which was founded in 1968 and now has over 8,000 members. Of these, 4,500 are active and 1,400 children and young people take part in the celebrations. By the way, the Swabian-Alemannic carnival has been a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage since 2014, with all 26 fools' guilds being part of it since 2022. The ring extends over the districts of Freudenstadt, Tübingen, Zollernalbkreis and Calw.

Challenges and solutions

The discussion also focused on the bureaucratic hurdles that pose major challenges for fools. The topics of approvals and security concepts in particular required a detailed debate. While Empfingen's mayor Truffner emphasized how important cooperation with the guild was, a spokesman from Talheim suggested holding the parade as a demonstration in order to save costs. Differences in the handling of traffic signs caused dissatisfaction: Horb demanded 500 euros, while Nagold provided this free of charge.

There is no uniform formula for security concepts, which means that Rottenburg is increasingly working with external security services. Truffner also called for competent speakers to identify security needs. The future mayor Keßler drew attention to the high costs of the ring meeting in Horb and spoke out in favor of better financial support.

A look at tradition

As the tradition of the fool's club in Bad Imnau shows, the carnival is more than just an event - it is part of a deeply rooted cultural heritage. Celebrations were held in Bad Imnau long before the Fools' Club was founded, often for the fun of it. The “Street Fasnet”, in which young men in particular paraded through the village as scissor grinders, is a clear example of this - these oldest carnival makers are still active today and contribute to the living tradition. The Fool's Association was founded in 1962 to maintain local customs and consists of various groups, including the Fool's Council and the Guard, which are among the oldest in Bad Imnau.

The Swabian-Alemannic Carnival has its origins on Epiphany and unfolds its full magic with “Dirty Thursday”, three days before Carnival Sunday. The highlight are the big parades on Shrove Monday and Tuesday, which attract thousands of people and allow the community to experience. From Ash Wednesday the carnival hustle and bustle ends and brings the foolish time to a close.

Finally, Ring President Thomas Fischer announced that he would no longer run for president for personal reasons - a circumstance that is also important for the region's fools.

The next big event will be the 31st ring meeting in 2026 in Empfingen, which many are already eagerly awaiting. The exchange within the jester family remains the key to preserving and promoting the traditional carnival in the Swabian-Alemannic region.