A charity ball in a Bavarian village has launched a debate in Germany over the use of a derogatory term for black people. Locals have defended it as "a normal term" in Bavaria's dialect, while critics say it's offensive.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Kaiser
Advertisement
Carnival celebrations in Germany are not without their controversies - whether they are the political messages of parade floats or revelers' use of blackface and stereotypical Native American costumes.
This year, a charity ball in the Bavarian village of Raindorf that donates its proceeds to development projects in African countries inadvertently caused outrage online.
The problem - the annual event is called the "Negerball," a term that translates to "negro ball" or "nigger ball". Although the term in German has a slightly less negative connotation than the English word, it is offensive to many people.
This year's ball may have finished on Saturday, but the controversy over the party's name continues to rage on social media.
When it was first started 36 years ago, the Carnival party was called "young people dance for Africa," explained event organizers, the parish group "KiRiKi," in a post on Facebook following the event.
With time, the party's attendees gave the event a new name and it came to be known as "Negerball," which the organizers defended by saying it remained a term commonly used "without prejudice" in Bavaria's highly idiosyncratic dialect.
Traditions don't change easily in Germany, least of all in "Bayern." So when "KiRiKi" created a Facebook event for the first time this year to publicize its charity ball, the name stayed.
A user reported the event for its racist language and Facebook shut down the event's page - sparking a debate on social media and in local media.
Intention vs. impact
In response to the criticism the event and its organizers received, this year's charity ball was slightly renamed to "Negaball." Organizers told local media that the name was now representative of their local Bavarian dialect.
On the event's Facebook site, however, one user pointed out the first four letters were intended to be an acronym for "Niederbayerische Entwicklungshilfe zu Gunsten Afrikas" or "Lower Bavarian development aid to benefit Africa."
No politician spared: The Rose Monday Carnival parades
In the lead-up to the awaited Rose Monday parades, float builders have offered the public an early sneak peek into their surreal world of sharp political satire. The first modern parade took place in Cologne in 1823.
Image: Getty Images/V. Hartmann
The new student
US President Donald Trump is depicted as a schoolyard bully as Russian President Vladimir Putin watches on.
The cities are never afraid to make fun of themselves. One of the upcoming floats features Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker taking on the German bureaucratic system.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is depicted here as the video game character Super Mario, as he takes advantage of the banks and targets European money savers.
In a change of tone, another float looks set to celebrate rather than mock the relationship between Germany and France ahead of the 2017 Ice Hockey World Championships held in Cologne and Paris.
The popular children's cartoon character Bob the Builder is depicted constructing the much-maligned Leverkusener bridge north of Cologne. The project has come under fire from residents because of the slow pace of construction, which is expected to drag on for another few years.
Then-candidate Donald Trump was an easy target at the 2016 Düsseldorf parade.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Caught in the middle
A 2016 Carnival float in Düsseldorf depicts a group of refugees trapped between the EU and war and terror.
Image: Reuters/I. Fassbender
Russian influence
A float shows Russian President Vladimir Putin wielding power throughout Europe via far-right parties in other countries.
Image: Reuters/I. Fassbender
Nutcracker
Angela Merkel is always a popular subject for Rose Monday parades in Germany. This 2016 Cologne float depicts the chancellor working on the tough nuts she has to crack.
Image: Getty Images/V. Hartmann
National fear
A 2016 float in Düsseldorf features the German federal eagle showing fear as one of its wings burns following attacks on refugee shelters.
Image: Getty Images/S.Steinbach
Nobel Peace Prize
This float takes aim at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Berg
Right-wing politics
A float at the 2016 Cologne parade shows extreme right-wing parties attacking democracy.
Image: Getty Images/V. Hartmann
12 images1 | 12
Facebook users, the majority of whom appeared to be white in their profile pictures, praised the name change and said they supported the ball as a simple charity event.
"The person who thinks the term is discriminatory is perhaps too insensitive to distinguish between racism and willingness to help," wrote one male user, referring to the original name of the ball.
Another noted: "Since when is the word not correct? The word 'Neger' exists. It's even in Duden!"
The word can, indeed, be found in the main German dictionary "Duden." The entry, however, comes with a hefty note that accompanies the definition, explaining that the term is "regarded as highly discriminatory" and says its use is to be avoided. The dictionary also offers several other options, including terms that black people in Germany prefer to be called.
Despite disagreeing with the criticism they received online, "KiRiKi" said that they would come up with a completely different name for the charity event next year.
Concerns 'not taken seriously'
Tahir Della, spokesman for the Initiative for Black People in Germany (ISD), said the Raindorf case was "problematic" to say the least.
"Those who are affected are not taken seriously," Della told DW.
Many of the Facebook users who came to the celebration's defense justified the use of the term by arguing that the event's title couldn't be racist because the people who used it didn't intend for it to be racist. It was simply how people in Bavaria talked, they argued.
Tahir Della of the Initiative for Black People in GermanyImage: ISD/Tahir Della
"The word 'Neger' is no longer up-to-date or politically correct according to High German, but in the Bavarian dialect, it is still used by many people without prejudice," "KiRiKi" wrote in their Facebook post. They said that the word was still used in Bavaria today to "simply describe people with black skin" without intending to discriminate.
A term can still be racist even if the person using the term does not intend any harm, Della explains, adding that this point is sometimes difficult for some to understand in Germany.
He also noted that these discussions in Germany tend to "go round in circles" without bringing society further towards using "non-discriminatory language."
Della places some of the blame with the German education system, saying that an understanding of German colonialism is lacking in both schools and universities. He believes that acquiring a historical understanding of such terms could help as well as building empathy with German people of color.
Della says the ISD reached out to the Bavarian event's organizers in an effort to open up a channel of dialogue.
"They didn't respond," he said.
How Europe celebrates Carnival
Traditions tend to be cheeky and colorful, but they vary from country to country: Here are Carnival traditions from across Europe.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Weihrauch
Hot rhythms on Tenerife
With its warmer climate, Carnival on the Spanish island of Tenerife feels a bit more like spring than winter and costumes tend to involve less fabric. Like in Latin America, samba dance groups participate in the largest Carnival parade on the Canary Islands in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. de la Rocha
Flour shower on La Palma
Clothed in white with a dusting of flour, revelers on the Canary Island of La Palma in Spain celebrate the "Dia des los Indianos." It commemorates the return of the islanders who've immigrated to Cuba or Venezuela. Covering each other with flour used to be a tradition on all Canary Islands, but today it's only practiced on La Palma. Flour is used instead of powdered sugar, which represents wealth.
Image: Los Indianos
Mardi Gras in Belgium
In Binche, 60 kilometers from Brussels, masked characters called "Gilles" have been playing the lead role in Carnival celebrations for centuries. Strengthened with oysters and champagne, they dance through the streets on Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The colorful ritual has been on the UNESCO List of Immaterial World Heritage since 2008.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Doppagne
Flower shower in Nice
Bud princesses throw mimosas, roses and daffodils into the crowd watching the famous flower battle in Nice in southern France. The parade on the Côte d'Azur dates back to 1876, when tourists, mainly from England, were presented with flowers.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. B. Fishman
Masquerade ball in Venice
The "Carnevale di Venezia" is said to date back to the 12th century, when nobles threw lavish parties in their palaces. Ball guests would outdo each other with elaborate costumes. The most exclusive Carnival events these days include the Ballo Tiepolo in the Palazzo Pisani Moretta and a visit to the opera in the Teatro La Fenice.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Margophoto/P. Pirrone
Dancing in uniform in the Rhineland
Uniformed dancers are an important part of almost every German Carnival club. In Cologne, they shout "Alaaf," in Dusseldorf, "Helau." But everywhere in the Rhineland region, people sing and collect "Kamelle," or sweets, during the Carnival parades. Several hundreds tons of goodies are thrown into the costumed crowds during the Carnival Monday parades.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Big-headed in Mainz
Carnival in Mainz, near Frankfurt, dates back to the 16th century, and the highlight is the parade on Carnival Monday. There, you'll always see larger-than-life caricature figures with XXL heads, known as "Schwellköpp." There are 30 different characters, and each of their heads weighs up to 25 kilograms.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. v. Erichsen
Jester in Rottweil
This historical jester figure, the "Federahannes," is part of the Carnival tradition in southwestern Germany. He has curved tusks and his coat is covered with feathers. He traditionally uses his cane to make leaps and appears at Carnival parades from the Black Forest to the Allgäu region and even into Switzerland.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
Drumming in Bremen
Bremen has become Germany's northern hub of Carnival festivities. Hundreds of samba groups from around the world are set to celebrate in Bremen, dressed according to the motto. With their drums, they turn the city's market square into a huge dance floor.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Bahlo
Peaceful celebrations
The "Bützchen," or smooch, is as much a part of Carnival in Germany as the colorful costumes. The term "Carnival" comes from the Latin words "carnis" (flesh) and "levare" (to take away). At the end of Carnival, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time of fasting for Christians in anticipation of Easter.
