Political Satire at German Carnival 2011

Mar 10, 2011 2 comments

Cologne is one of those cities that holds two carnivals each year. The one, which is currently underway, starts in February-March and the other is held in November.

The highlights of the carnival on the western German city of Cologne include marching bands and dancers that parade down the streets throwing confetti, sweets, flowers, and toys. And of course, the floats. The elaborate floats often show caricatured figures mocking politicians and other personalities. Below are some images from this year's Carnival.

Germany Carnival

Caricatures depicting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Abdullah stripped naked by Wikileaks' scandal

Italian prime minister’s curious relationship with the mafia

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A carnival float ridiculing Nokia’s mass layoffs in their companies.

A carnival float shows German chancellor Angela Merkel as Pippi Longstocking with the European bull on her shoulders during the traditional Rosemonday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011.  The Rosemonday parade in Cologne, visited by one million spectators, is one of the highlights of the street carnival season. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Carnival float representing German Chancellor Merkel is pictured during Rose Monday parade in Cologne...A carnival float papier-mache figure representing German Chancellor Angela Merkel as 'The Simpsons' cartoon character Montgomery Burns, is pictured during the Rose Monday street carnival parade in the western German city of Cologne March 7, 2011. The Rose Monday parades in Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf, with their popular floats satirising the year's big news events, are the highlight of the German street carnival season. REUTERS/Alex Domanski (GERMANY - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY)

Germany Carnival

Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo from China in the form of a yellow Statue of Liberty at the carnival in Cologne. 

Germany Carnival

Barack Obama, trying to push a camel through the eye of a needle. The figure represents US’s futile attempt to establish peace in the Middle East.

Germany Carnival

A carnival float shows Arab nations as a house of falling cards, with former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi

Germany Carnival

A carnival float representing German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle as a saw is pictured during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade. The words read: 'Pain in the neck Westerwelle.'

Germany Carnival

A carnival float, depicting Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi with a barrel of oil, is kissed by a man symbolizing Europe with a sack of money.

Germany Carnival

A carnival float depicting former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg in a plane crashing into Angela Merkel's Chancellery

Germany Carnival

Figures of women in veil, gradually turning into a bag.

A carnival float shows the FIFA as a prostitute during the traditional Rosemonday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011.  The Rosemonday parade in Cologne, visited by one million spectators, is one of the highlights of the street carnival season. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A carnival float making fun of FIFA’s decision to hold the World Championships in Russia and Qatar. Football Federation FIFA caricature depicted as a busty prostitute holding bills of hundred euros.

Comments

  1. The one about the women in veil is racist and misogyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No it isn't, it's a commentary. Your buzz-wordy accusations reveal your own fear.

      Delete

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