Chariot angel

Blue Sparks chariot angel at the Rose Monday procession in Cologne 2012

Cart Angel is a name for those in the carnival secure the ride in a carnival float, so no one gets hurt.

Two wagon angels are required per axle, which shield the two wheels on each side so that spectators are not hit or prevented from getting too close to the wheels to collect throwing material.

As a result of the disaster at the Love Parade 2010 , the safety regulations for carnival parades in North Rhine-Westphalia have also been tightened: The number of wagon angels required has been increased and they must wear a safety vest so that they can be recognized as wagon angels. In contrast to before, the clubs can no longer meet this need themselves and have to hire helpers; private security services are also occasionally commissioned.

During the Cologne Rose Monday procession in 2002, a female wagon angel had a fatal accident when she stumbled and was run over by the wheels of a wagon herself. At the Kunsthaus Artothek in Cologne , near which the accident occurred, a bronze plaque commemorates this tragic accident.

The term "Wagenengel" originated in the Rhenish vernacular, but has since been adopted in common parlance.