Celebrating Karlsruhe's fools: This is the beginning of the fifth season!

Celebrating Karlsruhe's fools: This is the beginning of the fifth season!

Today, November 11th, 2025, the fifth season begins in Cologne, which many celebrate as the highlight of the foolish hustle and bustle. At 11:11 a.m. sharp, the fools open the gates to the colorful world of Carnival, where they take control of the traditions for a certain time. This year's season promises a particularly interesting journey into the depths of the fool's culture, reinforced by the exhibition "Fool's Freedom!? A short story of breaking the rules" in the Badische Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe, which runs until February 21, 2026 can be seen.

In the exhibition, curator Katrin Hesse draws attention to the biblical reference to the fool, which symbolizes the sinful and is mentioned in Psalm 53:2: “The fool says in his heart: There is no God.” The thematic stations that shed light on the areas of love and death as well as the fall of man are particularly insightful. Here the fool is portrayed as a figure who breaks early rules and thus builds a bridge to carnival traditions.

The Role of the Fool: From Sinfulness to Joy

The Jester has long been a symbolic creature often associated with the devil. Its roots can be traced back to the High Middle Ages and found literary expression in the 14th and 15th centuries. The exhibition presents, among other things, excerpts from Sebastian Brant's moral satire “The Ship of Fools” from 1494, which is visually supported by Albrecht Dürer. In it, Brant mocked the vices of his fellow human beings and contributed to the emergence of the fool as a border crosser.

Over the centuries, the image of the fool has changed. In the 19th century, the fool developed from a sinful rule-breaker into a cheerful figure, focused on joy and sociability. Fastnacht, which originated from pagan and Christian customs and is known regionally under various names such as Carnival, Fastnacht and Fasching, has now become an important element of cultural life. It offers society the opportunity to reduce tensions and act as an outlet, as “Battlemerchant” makes clear in its reflections on the roots of carnival.

Freedom of fools and its origins

In the Middle Ages, carnival gave people the opportunity to overturn the social order by dressing up as nobles and making fun of their masters. This form of freedom from fools was a crucial aspect of Carnival that continues to be part of the celebrations to this day. Masks and costumes played a central role; they enabled people to shed their social identities and take on new roles. This tradition has an inseparable connection to today's carnival, where joy is the focus and criticism of existing grievances can be expressed.

With the start of the fifth season today, all fools are invited to put on their masks and enjoy the joys of Carnival. May the Freedom of Fools continue to encourage social reflection and let the disguises fly!