Carnival in Bern
carnival bern switzerland german berner fasnacht annual prelenten festival swabianalemannic tradition origin traced back th century carnival led peasant revolt bernese carnival held less regularly medieval time strong antipapal rhetoric occurring peasant war religious theme carnival prohibited return local reformation returned freedom speech expression protestant authority also tried ban carnival later century carnival known today introduced unique incorporates city history beginning carnival symbolic freeing bear carnival bern country third largest celebration carnival established bern medieval period bern term carnival either fasnacht fastnacht mean eve fasting beginning lent day fasting period feast folkfestivals commonly held th century bern began grow importance carnival cornerstone new rathaus laid importance city became noticeable visitor flocked city carnival celebration mid end th century bern saw visitor yearly carnival arrive surrounding city canton lucerne far away canton schwyz th century reformation caused rift protestant catholic citizenry bern according scholar city considered keeping catholic church late however period playwright used opportunity present anticatholic message carnival shrovetide lenten celebration reformation era carnival play depicted contrast catholic protestant others contrasted jew gentile goliath han von rüte niklaus manuel first writer present idea reform belittle papacy play wrote two farce pope showed difference pope priest jesus real life event particular battle novara created backdrop manuels writing wrote cardinal anselm von hochmuth haughtiness mightily enjoyed itfor christian blood dearand thats red hat wear another manuel play pope dismisses plight knight rhodes assisting war turk declares bacon turnip war better make war christian beginning mids appear incident sporadic violence bern carnival may shown tension reformation period record show carnival discontinued midtolatter half decade carnival continued entertainment different emphasis earlier decade record show play serious religious subject put early bern han von rütes abgötterie possibly first han von rüte wrote play biblical theme bern carnival gideon jew depicted losing enemy seven devastating year adopted idolatry abandoned god gideon eventually defeat enemy israelite recurring historical theme first destroy altar baal although story told von rütes play taken book judge jew rüte manuel meant attack idolatry catholic cleric von rütes gideon defeat zwinglian authority destroying baal altar however contrast play earlier decade von rütes play show shift away protestant polemic eventually us bernese bear allegorical figure tradition reformation era carnival theater fasnachtspiele came end mids bernese record show genre came end late banned th century bern carnival long time instead resident traveled basel lucerne enjoy carnival idea bringing carnival back bern began grow first initiated childrens carnival era modern carnival began bernese fasnacht third largest carnival switzerland although carnival basel lucerne longer extravagant tradition carnival bern run three day february according popular story lenin prior revolution passed bear bern fed carrot said bear must released carnival begin symbolic liberation bear participant dressed bear wait liberated old town course bear must first captured capture take place november previous year bear spends exactly day prison tower winter sleep awakened ychüblete drumming released original organizer modern carnival decided use local history incorporate famous bear bern modern carnival thus conceived idea freeing bear thereby adding modern idea based tradition city carnival basel website berner fasnacht glenn ehrstine theater culture community reformation bern brill isbn