City history(ies)

On February 28, 1954, a carnival parade took place in Erlangen for the first time since the Second World War. The Tagblatt newspaper spoke of a "colorful 'army column of humor'" - a strange throwback to the language of the military. In the years immediately after the war, the celebrations were restricted to indoor areas. In 1954, the carnival balls were of course also held in the Redoutensaal, the Studentenhaus, the Waldschießhaus or the Kolosseum - but the first public parade in many years attracted a great deal of attention. The Erlanger Tagblatt newspaper from March 1, 1954, listed 50 groups and floats that took part in the colorful hustle and bustle - with the prince and princess Lenz I and Ingrid I right in the middle. Press photos document how people crowded onto the market square to see the "carnival royalty" with their court. Even if, from today's perspective, the allusions and jokes of the individual floats are no longer entirely comprehensible, the conclusion of one contemporary was clear: "It was great, it just needed a little more music."

Carnival 1954, in front of the town hall. The prince and princess have just emerged from the state coach, the guards are standing guard (Photo: Rudi Stümpel).