The Rottweil Fasnet

Once a year, at Fasnet, the carnival revellers take command of Rottweil. The former imperial town whole-heartedly celebrates the traditional Narrensprung, a rollicking version of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival or Fasnet.

Dates of the Narrensprünge 2025:

Monday, 03 March 2025; 08:00 a.m.

Tuesday, 04 March 2025; 08:00 a.m. and 02:00 p.m.

More information!

In the early morning hours of Fastnet Monday, the revellers gather behind the Schwarzes Tor for the start of the long-awaited event. Finally, as the clock strikes eight, the famous Rottweil Narrensprung begins.

The town band plays the jester's march, the heralds on horseback, elegantly attired with coats of arms and standards, announce the start of the merry goings-on, and the young Geiselklepfer loudly crack their whips – the “Geisel” in local dialect. Yelling their cheerful Rottweil carnival cry “huhuhu”, the jesters come, dressed up in their traditional costumes: the Gschell, the Biss, the Bennerrössle, the Fransenkleid, the Schantle, the Federahannes.

The colourful, lovingly designed robes and face masks are passed on from generation to generation. Already on the Twelfth Day on 6th of January, the “Abstauber” or “dust-off men” – gentlemen nobly dressed in tailcoats and cylinders – painstakingly remove the year’s dust from the costumes. New costumes may also be approved after thorough examination by the jesters’ guild.

For several hours, the Rottweil jesters’ parade from the Schwarzes Tor down the entire main street until the spectacle finally comes to an end at Friedrichsplatz. The second Narrensprung parade takes place on Tuesday morning at the same time, followed by a third one on Tuesday afternoon. An important feature: The so-called “Aufsagen”, or reading from the jesters’ book, when the jesters rake their fellow citizens over the coals in the Rottweil streets or at private jesters’ parties.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF JESTERS

The "GSCHELL"

With his smiling baroque mask, the white jesters’ smock painted in bright colours, and his heavy belt with bells, the “Gschell” is the key figure of the Rottweil Fastnet. In former times, he was addressed as “Jester”.

His cap is adorned with three fox brushes, signifying slyness.
THE "Biß"

The Biss is a younger version of the “Gschell”.

His mask is that of a man’s face with his teeth bared. His cap differs from that of the “Gschell”: it has one fox brush only but additionally bears a bunch of chicken feathers.
The "Fransenkleid"

“Fransenkleid” means fringed dress. This costume was presumably created by Rottweil passementerie makers in the late 18th century in rococo style, influenced by military fashion. The dress is made of satin, cord or wool fabric; the associated mask is that of a lovely woman’s face.

When the female population of Rottweil started to actively participate in the Fastnet celebrations, their jesters’ robes probably looked like that.
the "Schantle"

Originally, the “Schantles” were bawdy characters in torn clothes and raw wooden masks whose wearers brought nothing but mischief. They were chided as “the obscene ones in disguise”. In the lateIn late 19th century, the authorities insisted on a refinement of the character pursuant to the fashion of the times. One Schantle character, “Franz Amma's Briekere” has a special position: he is the crying jester.

His dress is made of burlap, velvet or coarse cloth. Most Schantles carry an elegant umbrella that matches their dress, while others carry a stick or a “Sauglocke”, a tool for scratching the bristles off a slaughtered pig’s hide.
The "Fedarahannes"

Carrying a jumping stick and wearing an ample coat, the “Federahannes” with its fangs projecting from its mouth is the devil incarnate. It is one of the oldest carnival masks, probably dating back to before the year 1700. The curled-up chin or “Rollkinn” was added in baroque times. The Federahannes derives his name from the goose feathers attached to his robe.

Today, this character is presumably the best-known of all types of Rottweil jesters.
The "Bennerrössle"

A ‘Rössle’ is a little horse. The Benner-Rössle or Brieler Rössle is said to originate from the remote village of Briel. This a dummy horse with its rider. The character of the Rössle always comprises two herders who control the unruly animal by means of their short-handled whips. The mask of the “Alter Schimmel”, or old white horse, dates back to around 1700.

Today, nine Rössle horses with two herders each participate in the Narrensprung parade.
The "Guller"

The “Guller” is a stand-alone Fastnet character. He is assumed to be associated with ancient fertility rites.
The mask worn by the Guller character today was carved by German Burry in 1907.