Fasnachtsflyer_EN

CARNIVAL
in Basel
UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity

4 72 Hours of Fasnacht
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Morgestraich
Cortège / Schnitzelbanks
Kids’ Carnival
Gugge Parade and Concert
Lantern Exhibition
Cortège / Ändstraich
Basel Fasnacht City Map
Facts & Figures
Masks and Costumes
History of Fasnacht
Badges / Committee
Fasnacht Glossary
Good to Know
BaselCard / Dates
23 Getting Here
2

WELCOME TO THE
BASEL CARNIVAL
For many people in Basel it is the highlight
of the year: Carnival, or the “three
best days of the year” (drei scheenschte
Dääg) as many like to call it, when young
and old take to the streets, make music,
celebrate, and enjoy the brief period of
jester’s licence.
The Basel carnival, or Fasnacht, is a grand
spectacle of colour, costumes, and sounds
that contributes to the city’s identity like
no other event. Not only do countless locals
feel a deep connection with this hallowed
tradition, it also attracts thousands
of visitors from all corners of the world.
Let yourself be carried away by the colourful
hustle and bustle in Basel’s streets,
alleys, and pubs. Even if you’re only a
bystander you’ll get to know a lot about
local customs and traditions even though
the Basel dialect and sense of humour
might prove a bit confusing. But one
thing’s for sure: it’s an event you’ll not
forget!
The Fasnachts-Comité
and Basel Tourismus
3

72 HOURS OF FASNACHT
The Basel Fasnacht is the largest carnival
in Switzerland. Traditionally it starts at
four o’clock sharp in the morning of the
Monday after Ash Wednesday, and goes
on for precisely seventy-two hours.
As chaotic and confusing the Basel
Fasnacht may seem to outsiders, it is
in actual fact quite a structured and
organized event. The carnival season
opens between Xmas and New Year when
the motto of the upcoming Fasnacht is
revealed and the new badge (Blaggedde)
is presented, and continues throughout
January with various stage events. During
this period, the various formations also
work on the sujet* they plan to play out
during carnival.
For the active participants, Fasnacht
commences on Sunday evening when the
cliques* usher in their new lantern to the
sound of piccolos, before it really takes
off before dawn on Monday morning at
the Morgestraich.
This pivotal event is followed by two
days of large parades through town
(Monday and Wednesday); on Tuesday it
is time for the kids’ carnival, the lantern
exhibition on Münsterplatz, the exhibition
of floats and props on Kaserne square,
and the Guggenmusik* concerts. In the
evenings, often until the early hours of
morning, the attention is on so-called
Gässle*. These are the inviolable cornerstones
of Basel’s “three exceptional days”.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary
on pages 18/19.
4

HUMOUR, CREATIVITY, AND
SOCIAL CRITIQUE
The development of the Basel Fasnacht
as a form of protest against a repressive
ruling class lent it its special character
for which it is famous well beyond the
boundaries of Switzerland today. This
background also explains the typical spite
and satire of Basel carnival humour. Relying
on wit and irony, carnivalists poke fun
at everything that went wrong in politics,
culture, and society over the last year.
CARICATURE AND ART
Be it the costumes or the lanterns: the
cliques* enact their sujet* to the very last
detail, celebrating the art of caricature to
the fullest. Numerous famous painters
once laid down the foundations of this
tradition – a tradition that is now carried
on each year by countless artists and
designers in the same spirit.
UNESCO CULTURAL
HERITAGE
In 2017, UNESCO added the Basel Fasnacht
to its representative list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage, thus paying tribute
to the rich tradition and singularity of this
three-day event. What makes it so impressive,
according to UNESCO, is its unique
blend of music, written and oral forms of
expression, and artisanal outputs.
5

Monday, 4am
MORGESTRAICH
The magic moment
On Monday after Ash Wednesday, the town rises at four o’clock
sharp to the Morgestraich, the impressive start to the Basel
Fasnacht. Upon the fourth chime of St Martin’s church, all
the lights go off in the inner city. At the drum majors’ command
of “Morgestraich: vorwärts, marsch!”, the alleys and the
streets spring to life with the sound of hundreds of piccolos
and drums. All the cliques* open with the Morgestraich, a very
traditional and archaic marching tune, which is only played on
this occasion. The only light in the blacked-out streets comes
from the myriad of lanterns that accompany the pipers and
drummers, alighting the faces of thousands of spectators at the
side of the streets, many of them from abroad: a truly magical
moment!
What started in the 19th century as a simple procession of
drums and torches, has in the meantime become a total artistic
and musical experience. The flickering torches of then have
been replaced by extraordinary works of lantern art, while the
simple sound of military pipes and drums has been transformed
into music of almost concert level.
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Monday, 1.30pm – 6pm
CORTÈGE
The large parade
On Monday and Wednesday afternoon it is time for the large
street parade, the so-called cortège, when roughly 11,000
maskers play out their sujet* in fixed formations of varying size.
Unlike the Morgestraich, the cortège is an event for all Fasnacht
formations, that is, large and small cliques*, huge floats, individual
maskers (Ainzelmasgge*), Guggenmusik* bands, groups of
masks, and elegant horse-drawn carriages (chaises).
In some cases, a formation’s sujet* is already recognizable from
a distance – namely on the large lantern that precedes each
traditional clique*. The sujet* is also represented and reflected
in the head-masks (Larve*), costumes, and props (Requisiten*).
Behind the lantern and the so-called Vortrab (vanguard) come
the pipers, the drum major, and finally the drummers.
In the evenings
SCHNITZELBANKS
One of the most salient features of the Basel Fasnacht are
the so-called Schnitzelbanks. The satirical rhyming songs are
regarded as the epitome of carnival humour. The Schnitzelbank
singers, who usually also write the songs, comment on political
and social events that occurred over the last year in elegantly
rhymed and witty verses, usually spiced up with a sound portion
of satire and a pinch of humorous malice.
Schnitzelbank singers perform in restaurants and theatres on
Monday and Wednesday evening, on Tuesday evening also in
clique cellars and private houses. Just as important as the songs
are the illustrations that go with them, the so-called Helge;
each song comes with its own picture which is held up to the
audience. A good illustration provides hints to the song’s theme,
but without disclosing the punchline.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary on pages 18/19.
7

Tuesday afternoon
KIDS’ CARNIVAL
On Tuesday afternoon, the city centre is again
caught up in the hustle and bustle of Fasnacht,
but now it’s the children’s turn. In small groups,
kids accompanied by parents, grandparents,
and other grown-ups practise the traditions
of Fasnacht. Dressed in imaginative costumes
and equipped with drums, musical instruments,
and small handcarts they roam the streets,
distribute Dääfeli (sweets) and Zeedel, witty
leaflets they’ve written themselves, and shower
the spectators with Räppli*. In turn, adults,
too, make use of the day to celebrate carnival
unconstrained by the strict schedule of the
cortège, in loose formations and wearing their
favourite personal mask and costume.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary on pages 18/19.
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Tuesday, from 6.30pm
GUGGE PARADE AND CONCERT
On Tuesday evening, the town is in the hands of the Guggenmusik*
bands. A part of the roughly 60 brass bands equipped with
ear-shattering trumpets, trombones, tubas, drums, kettledrums,
and cymbals convene at Exhibition Square around 6.30pm. From
there they parade through Clarastrasse towards the city centre
and the three large squares (Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, and
Claraplatz) where they perform on specially erected stages. The
popular and eagerly awaited Gugge* concerts are staged between
7.30 and 10.30pm but most of the bands also play before and
after the main event in restaurants and on squares across town.
On this evening, the piper and drummers give way to the
Guggenmusik* bands and retreat to the small alleys away from
the main streets and squares.

Monday evening until Wednesday morning
LANTERN EXHIBITION
After the parade on Monday afternoon, the cliques* display their
elaborately designed lanterns on the Münsterplatz. Featuring
the visualized sujets*, the lanterns reveal their true magic after
dark when they are lit for the first time after Morgestraich. They
come in many forms and styles. Some bear the unmistakable
signature of regular artists, others are painted by laymen and
-women. Today, new techniques and innovative materials are
being employed increasingly. What once began with caricatures
of well-known Basel politicians and personalities has over the
last decades developed into a true art historical digest.
EXHIBITION OF FLOATS
AND PROPS
Some of the large floats and props (Requisiten*) that feature in
the cortège can be admired at the Kaserne where they are on
display throughout the day on Tuesday.
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Wednesday, 1.30pm – 6pm and Thursday 4am
CORTÈGE AND ÄNDSTRAICH
On Wednesday, the cortège takes to the streets again from
1.30pm. As on Monday, the parade is not restricted to traditional
music groups. It also includes large floats on which the group’s
sujet* is played out with the help of elaborate and fancy superstructures.
The maskers who man the floats distribute flowers –
usually mimosa – oranges, and sweets among the spectators, but
they also love to shower the crowds with a rain of confetti.
Most cliques* are headed by a so-called Vortrab (vanguard)
whose job it is to clear the way for the advancing formation.
Members of the Vortrab also hand-out Zeedel, leaflets on which
the clique’s* Fasnacht theme is explained in witty verses.
Fasnacht ends as it began on Monday morning with a set ritual.
Piping and drumming along with Guggenmusik* continues until
four o’ clock on Thursday morning, the so-called Ändstraich,
when each formation for itself celebrates the end of Fasnacht
with a final, specially chosen performance.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary on pages 18/19.
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BASEL CARNIVAL
CITY MAP
KASERNE
MITTLERE BRÜCKE
MARKTPLATZ
MÜNSTERPLATZ
BARFÜSSERPLATZ
Tourist Information
WETTS
BRÜCK
BAHNHOF SBB
Tram 2/8/10/11
Buses 30/50/48
AESCHENPLATZ
Tram 3/8/10/11/14/15
Buses 37/80/81
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KASERNE
CLARAPLATZ
MESSEPLATZ
BADISCHER
BAHNHOF
Tram 2/6
Buses 30/36/46/55
WETTSTEINPLATZ
Route of cortège
Monday and Wednesday from 1.30pm
Route of Gugge* parade Tuesday 6.30pm
WETTSTEIN-
BRÜCKE
Sales points
Fasnacht badges, Rädäbäng* and Zeedel
Lantern exhibition
Monday evening until Wednesday morning
Exhibition of floats and props Tuesday
Reserved seats for people with a reduced
mobility during the cortège.
• In the city centre, most shops are closed during the cortège.
• Schnitzelbank troupes perform in the evening in pubs, clique
cellars, and some theatres.
• Fasnacht badges are sold at stalls run by the Fasnacht
Committee, at the two tourist office outlets located at the
Stadtcasino and the Swiss railway station SBB, and by
vendors in the streets.
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FACTS & FIGURES
ABOUT THE BASEL FASNACHT
The Basel Fasnacht attracts more than
200,000 VISITORS every year.
Roughly 11,000 MASKERS take part in the
cortège. At least as many prefer to parade
with no fixed route through the streets and
alleys of the Old Town.
Around 500 FASNACHT FORMATIONS
take part in the official cortège each year.
TWO MONTHS before the “three best
days of the year”, beginning in January, a
number of pre-Fasnacht events are staged
at various theatres in town.
More than 500,000 WORKHOURS are
invested in Fasnacht each year on a voluntary
basis – roughly 100,000 of them in the
service of children and adolescents.
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MASKS AND COSTUMES
At the Basel Fasnacht, active participants
hide their true identity under a Masgge
(full-body mask) according to the unwritten
laws of Fasnacht. The head-mask is
referred to as Larve*; up to this day, most
of them are still elaborately handcrafted.
Many groups still design and create
their own costumes and head-masks.
One distinguishes between three types
of costumes: parade costumes (which
lend expression to a formation’s current
sujet*), classical costumes, and individual
fantasy costumes.
Classical costumes include the Waggis (a
parody of an Alsatian peasant), the Alti
Dante (an “old aunt” from the Biedermeier
period), the Blätzlibajass (modelled on
the Bajazzo, the classical buffoon from
the Comedia dell’ arte, with a costume
made of hundreds of scraps of cloth), the
Ueli (based on the figure of a medieval
jester), and the Dummpeter (originally a
trumpeter from the Rococo period).
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary
on pages 18/19.
15

A GLIMPSE INTO
THE HISTORY OF
FASNACHT
Like with most carnival
customs, the roots of the
Basel Fasnacht trace back to
ancient Celtic and Germanic
origins and practices relating
to ancestor worship, fertility
rites, and the expulsion of
winter. Later it was also influenced
by such events as medieval
jousts, military musters
organized by the city’s guilds,
and religious festivals before
Lent. When, during the age of
Reformation, merrymaking
and feasting were increasingly
restricted, even banned
at times, the Basel Fasnacht
gradually developed into a
display of resistance against
the city’s authorities.
In the 19th century, the nature
of Fasnacht began to change.
The first cliques* were formed,
Schnitzelbank singers made
their appearance for the first
time, and piping and drumming gradually became
the hallmark of Fasnacht. The parades
became more political and gradually adopted
their typical satirical bent.
Fasnacht as we know it today took on its
shape above all in the course of the latter
half of the 20th century. In the years after the
Second World War, many new cliques* were
established, the quality of piping and drumming
rose to new levels, while the costumes
and head-masks (Larve*) took on their typical
Basel touch. New traditions and rituals sprang
up which are still celebrated today as if they
had existed already for centuries.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary on pages 18/19.
16

COMMITTEE
The Fasnacht Committee, founded in 1910,
consists of ten to fifteen honorary members
and is responsible for the organization of
the “three best days of the year”. It provides
services to the groups involved in Fasnacht
and mediates between the interests of
the Fasnacht, the general public, and the
authorities.
BADGE
The Blaggedde (Fasnacht badge) in the shape
of a brooch enjoys high repute in Basel.
It is considered a small work of art with the
ability to convey the motto of the current
Fasnacht in a single image. The proceeds
from the sale of the Blaggedde is also the
Fasnacht’s main source of income.
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FASNACHT GLOSSARY
Clique
Umbrella term for all groups actively involved
in Fasnacht. These include traditional,
piccolo and drum formations (often divided
into a main section, Stammclique, an “old
guard”, and a “young guard”), loosely
organized groups of pipers and drummers,
as well as Guggenmusik bands, floats, and
carriages (Chaise).
Gugge / Guggenmusik
Short for Guggenmusik band; brass band
accompanied by percussion instruments that
plays popular tunes and hits with verve but
slightly off-key. The band is usually headed
by an impressive drum major.
Sujet
Specific theme chosen by a clique which it
plays out during Fasnacht; usually a local,
national, or international topic that has
given rise to discussion and criticism over
the last year.
Larve
Basel dialect term for head-mask.
Requisit
Prop consisting of different parts that illustrates
the clique’s sujet. The prop makes up
part of the clique’s formation and is drawn in
a handcart during the cortège.
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Räppli
Basel dialect term for confetti
Gässle
Playing music and parading through the
alleys of the Old Town with no fixed route.
Ainzelmasgge
Term for a person in full costume who performs
alone during Fasnacht.
Määlsuppe, Kääs- and Ziibelewaie
Local terms for roasted flour soup, cheese
pie, and onion pie, favoured dishes at the
Morgestraich but also served on other days
during Fasnacht.
Rädäbäng
The official guide to Fasnacht is published
two weeks before Fasnacht and lists all the
upcoming events and respective sujets. The
brochure is sold at the Fasnacht Committee’s
sales points at Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz,
and Claraplatz and in Sutter bakery shops.
Schyssdräggziigli
Small group of pipers and/or drummers that
gets together spontaneously but does not
take part in the cortège.
19

GOOD TO KNOW:
Dos and Don’ts at the Basel Fasnacht
«Not without a badge»
Being the only way to make a small financial
contribution to Fasnacht, wearing a badge
(Blaggedde) is a matter of honour.
No flash photography during Morgestraich
Complete darkness is a prerequisite of Morgestraich.
Brightly lit windows, neon signs, and
other sources of light ruin the magic completely.
Consequently, flash photography is an absolute
taboo.
All or nothing
At the Basel Fasnacht, the only people to wear
costume are the active participants – onlookers
are asked to keep a low profile. Colourfully
painted faces, false noses, and wigs are a no-go,
except for children.
No confetti on maskers
Please don’t throw confetti at the maskers – it
makes breathing under the head-mask extremely
difficult. Also, do not pick up confetti from
the street and throw it around.
Do not throw things into the crowd
Waggis and other figures on floats like to throw
oranges and sweets into the crowd. Do not
throw them back or into other parts of the audience,
under any circumstances.
Give way
Enjoy Fasnacht with the due respect. Masked
groups and individuals always have the right of
way, so don’t hinder them, and please do not
form human chains.
Terms marked with a * are explained in the glossary
on pages 18/19.
20

Upgrade for overnight guests
THE BASELCARD FOR FREE
Visitors to Basel receive their personal guest card upon
checking in at the hotel. It not only entitles you to free public
transport and free use of the guest WiFi, the BaselCard also
means a 50 % discount on admission to Basel museums, the
zoo, the theatre, along with other benefits such as renting an
e-bike for just CHF 20 a day. Get your e-bike from the Rent a
Bike office at the SBB main train station.
www.basel.com/en/BaselCard
MORGESTRAICH UP TO 2025
• 2 March 2020
• 22 February 2021
• 7 March 2022
• 27 February 2023
• 19 February 2024
• 10 March 2025
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We wish to thank the following
sponsors for their support:
Imprint
Edition: December 2019
Published by: Fasnachts-Comité Basel
/ Basel Tourismus
Texts and editorial work:
Maja Hartmann, VVH Basel
Visual design: Domo Löw
Translation: Nigel Stephenson
Print: Druckerei Dietrich AG.
Published in: G/E/F
Photo credits:
Pages 1/2/6/10/11/24:
Basel Tourismus, Schweiz Tourismus
Pages 4/9/14/17 above:
Foto Mimmo, Basel
Page 7: Philipp Neth
Page 8: Ivo Birrer, Basel
Page 15: Historisches Museum Basel
Page 23: maboart, Basel
For the sake of easier readability, we use the male form in our texts but,
of course, women and men are addressed equally.
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GETTING HERE
Visitors to the Basel Fasnacht are advised to
come on foot or use public transport. Best leave
your car at home or use one of the car parks
at the edge of town. The bus and tram schedules
are duly adapted to the high visitor volume.
During the cortège on Monday and Wednesday,
some road sections are closed completely for
a few hours. The buses and trams are rerouted
accordingly. Overnight guests benefit from
their BaselCard which entitles them to free
usage of buses and trams during their entire
stay in Basel.
Getting to Basel from afar is also easy, owing to
Basel’s central location in Europe and excellent
flight and rail connections. The EuroAirport
is only 15 minutes away from the city centre.
The same goes for Basel’s three train stations,
the Swiss main train station SBB, the French
train station SNCF, as well as the German train
station Badischer Bahnhof, all of which are in
walking distance to the town centre.
23

www.basel.com
www.fasnachts-comite.ch