Lozärner Carnival Committee
The Lozärner Fasnachtskomitee (LFK) is a joint organization of the four Lucerne guilds and carnival societies. It aims to plan and carry out joint activities as part of the Lucerne Carnival . This includes the big parades, the receptions but also the maintenance of the customs of making masks and costumes.
The Lozärner Fasnachtskommitee consists of 40 male members, made up of equal numbers from the four Lucerne guilds and societies. The committee is headed by the president - called LFKP - who is alternately appointed by a guild or society every year. He is the main patron of the Lucerne carnival parades.
The history of the LFK
The origin and core of Lucerne's Fas (t) Nacht is the figure of Fritschi , also known as Brother Fridolin . The name Fritschi was first documented in 1443. Presumably it was originally a pagan deity, a spring god who was worshiped as a symbol of light and fertility. An analogy to the Böögg of the people of Zurich, whom they burn every year as a hated winter god.
The oldest description and illustration of Fritschi is found in the chronicle of the town clerk Diebold Schilling from 1513. Here the mask appears as a black-bearded man in his prime, while today's Fritschi masks represent almost toothless old people. In the past, the Fritschizug was also called "Bridal Run Fritschi". Today, the fertility is only through the Fritschikind symbolizes that of the ever-present Fritschimagd is worn.
Around 1600 the town clerk Renward Cysat describes the Fritschi train as a harness and weapons show, which Fritschi is advancing as a war hero. Even then, the well-prepared saffron guild looked after the old fritschi custom. Later, the move turned into a folklore and historical show, at the end of which Fritschi drove with his family on a brightly decorated carriage and danced with his wife, the Fritschene . The historical-patriotic show turned more and more into a satirical, humorous carnival parade.
In 1925, revelers have from the Weyquartier on "Güdis-Mäntig" (equivalent to the German Carnival Monday ) for the first time its own satirical parade carried out, which led to the tradition of Weyzunft developed later (1925). In 1929, the two competing parades were combined in the Lucerne Carnival Comité . Until the outbreak of war, the Carnival Comité was the patron of the parade on Dirty Thursday (“Schmotzige Donnschtig”) and the Weyzunft alone in this function on the following “Güdismontag”.
It was not until 1951 that the three traditional organizers of the Fritschium procession - the Safran Guild , the Mask Lovers Society of the City of Lucerne and the Fidelitas Lucernensis Society - joined forces with the Wey Guild Lucerne to form today's Lucerne Carnival Committee. In 1952 both moves were carried out together for the first time.
In 1986 the “t” in the word Fastnacht was deleted. This required a decision by the Lucerne government council. The current name Lozärner Fasnachtskomitee (with the city name Lucerne in local dialect) was born.
Efforts to use this name again in German written language failed several times, most recently in 2006.
The events of the LFK
Schalander reception
The Schalander reception is at the beginning of a calendar year. Here, on the grounds of the Eichhof brewery, the "masters" of the guilds and societies as well as all LFK members and media meet for the first joint meeting in the mostly new composition. In the framework program of this reception of the so-called "guild mighty" there is usually a Guggenmusik or small information . In 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 this was the Noggeler Guuggenmusig Luzern.
LFK reception (also called men's evening)
In the society house of the Mask Lovers Society of the City of Lucerne in the Süesswinkel, old members of the LFK, the current committee members, all masters of the guilds and societies, guests of honor from politics and business and selected media representatives meet for a “hearty” gentlemen's evening. The speeches held there are often very aggressive, funny and often a bit shoddy . The statements made sometimes find their way into the press, for example in 2006, when excerpts from a speech by the then Governing Councilor Daniel Bühlmann ( SVP ) were viewed in broad circles as misogynistic. Afterwards, a debate broke out in the LFK about the style of a good carnival speech and whether reporting media should be invited to this event.
Mask craft courses
The LFK teaches adults and children how to make masks for Carnival. These courses, which were held for the first time in 2008 at Le Théâtre Kriens-Lucerne , are very popular with both locals and non-residents: 50% of the participants do not come from the Lucerne region. Until 2008, the LFK also supported schools in maintaining the custom of mask making. This tradition ended in 2008. Since then, children and young people have also been taught in school-independent courses at Le Théâtre.
Seniors Carnival
Older semesters meet - together with the masters of the guilds and societies - for a cozy afternoon of carnival bustle in a larger restaurant in Lucerne.
Fasnachtsmäärt (carnival market)
On two days before Carnival, costumes and other articles for the coming, “rude” (great) days will be on sale in the old town - Unter der Egg. Above all, the Määrt is a social event with a wide range of culinary and beverage options. The Guuggenmusigen, which are obligatory in Lucerne, are also present.
Lucerne carnival parades
This colorful and loud spectacle takes place on the dirty Thursday and the following Güdis-Mäntig. Up to 80 different numbers are shown on the two-kilometer moving route across the city of Lucerne (from the Luzernerhof over the Seebrücke to the Helvetiagärtli ). Half of them are “officials”, i.e. carnival groups registered with the LFK. The rest of the so-called «wild ones», who arrive unannounced at the starting point of the parade and are "distributed" to the parade by those responsible for the LFK. It is a tradition in Lucerne that space is also given to this unorganized carnival. Political and social satire is shown on carnival floats, the Guuggenmusigen compete, groups of masks entertain the audience. This large parade of people in the Lucerne calendar is broadcast on Dirty Thursday by regional television Tele 1 and on Monday by Swiss television .
Individual evidence
Web links
Members of the Lozärner Carnival Committee (societies and guilds)
Friend Organizations