Urban Research: Cologne Carnival, 2011, and the Rose Monday

Cologne Carnival is one of the most famous festivals and the most important traditional street festival in Germany. It takes a week between Fat Thursday or in German Weiberfastnacht and Ash Wednesday or Aschermittwoch. The whole week is called The Crazy Days. What is called Rose Monday or Rosenmontag is the peak of excitement throughout the week.

The event is mainly held in Cologne but other cities of the North-Rhein Westfalia province of Germany, which Cologne is one of its cities, celebrate the fest. Cities like Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Leverkusen, Münster , Bochum, Duisburg, ... have also Rose Monday carnivals. Also smaller cities like Linden, Hiltrop, Höntrop, and Lechenich have traditional smaller Rose Monday events. Normally the importance of the events become less when going far from the center of the carnival in Cologne. The center of the program is in Alter Markt and around the Cologne Cathedral. The Germans usually take part in the festival wearing interesting costumes.

The carnival dates back to 1820s. During the past decades it has gained the importance of a tourist-attracting event. It is estimated that about one million people attend it each year. The cities of the region have used this festival to promote the tourism and also livability and creativity of their cities.

Here some photos of the 2011 carnival of Cologne in Rose Monday are posted.