#cologne carnival

Agrippina the Younger, mother of Cologne 1st C. CE. Sister of Emperor Caligula, mother of Emperor Nero, wife of Emperor Claudius, Roman bust (marble), 1st century CE, (Ny Carslberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen.).

"Agrippina the young one. Agrippina, which was born in 15 A.D., is in fact the mother of the famous emperor Nero. In the year 49 A.D., she married her uncle Claudius in order to strengthen her power and to give the possibility to her son to be the emperor’s reign. She herself was the first female Roman emperor and decided to found a colony named after her at the place where she was born: Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. Agrippina, which was murdered by her son in 59 A.D., is therefore a famous character of the city of Colonia, Cologne, Köln and is present all over the city. In November, when the people of Cologne will start celebrating Carnival, you will realize that the leaders of the parades and events are always three people: a king, a farmer and a virgin. The character of the virgin is actually supposed to be Agrippina, the protecting mother Colonia, which founded our city. Her crown and her virginity symbolize the impregnableness of Cologne when it was still surrounded by a half circled city wall. You can find her, as every important personality of the city, at our city hall. You might even discover her during a walk through the city, when you expect her the least." -taken from Erasmus Student Network, Köln

Agrippina the Younger, mother of Cologne 1st C. CE

"The maiden, also called "Ihre Lieblichkeit" (Her Loveliness) symbolizes the patronizing mother Colonia and is traditionally played by a man. Beard or moustache are forbidden for this role. From 1936-43, the maiden was ordered by Nazi authorities to be played by a real woman. The Cologne maiden wears a mural crown. This "defender" crown and her virginity symbolize the impregnability of the city. Also she has a hand mirror symbolizing "female vanity", a recent attribute with no deeper meaning. Her Roman dress is a reminder of the Roman empress Agrippina (the younger, AD 15–59), wife of emperor Claudius. Agrippina was born in the city in AD15 and succeeded in getting a renaming of the place as the new Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (CCAA) by AD50." -taken from Wikipedia

Editor’s Note: This is from my 1996 backpacking adventure. Names have been changed since I haven’t talked to these people in over 20 years. A couple days after partying on the Reeperbahn, it was time to continue our backpacking adventure. Vera and I decided to check out Cologne on the advice of Anna and after reading a little about how they celebrate Carnival. Anna said she could join us for one…

Experience the Adventure of Europe’s Newest Sleeper Train Route Europe’s latest long-distance rail route is set to launch, promising an unforgettable journey. On February 5, European Sleeper will debut its overnight service connecting Brussels to Venice. This route is not just a convenient means of traveling between Belgium and Italy; it also allows passengers to explore a variety of fascinating…