Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Kreuzberg dances

For roughly four kilometers, the parade winds its way through Berlin's Kreuzberg quarter. This part of Berlin is exceptionally multicultural - it was here in the 1970s, Kreuzbergers claim, that the original Döner Kebab was invented.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

A party for any and all

While popular images of Kreuzberg tend to show high populations of citizens with Turkish backgrounds, nearly all of Berlin's cultures take part in the carnival. In total, 180 countries are represented by their citizen expats in Berlin. Around 460,000 Berliners hold a foreign passport - reason enough, really, to throw that yearly party.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Expensive fun

For 18 years, parade organizers have financed the Carnival of Cultures themselves, renting parade wagons, generators, ordering costumes and even booking rehearsal rooms. Now, various groups would like to see public funds used to support the carnival, as they believe the event helps lay the groundwork for intercultural cohesion.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Eye of the beholder

Many of this year's spectators came in costume and had plenty of time to capture photographs of their favorite festivities. Over the course the day, the floats travelled four kilometers, from Hermannplatz to Yorckstrasse.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Samba in Berlin

Many South American dance groups lend flair to the Berlin festival, which is itself heavily influenced by Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. One big difference: Costumes such as these pictured above are somewhat rarer in Berlin's cooler climate.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Berlin tries out Carnival

Berlin celebrated Carnival for the first time in 1996. The idea was to do a Berlin take on the traditionally Catholic Carnival, which usually takes place in February and - at least in Germany - is celebrated with the most abandon in the Rhineland. The organizer of the Berlin variation is the "Werkstatt der Kulturen" ("Workshop of Cultures").

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Predecessors and copycats

Berlin's Carnival was based on similar festivals in other large cities - in particular, the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Since the 1960s, citizens in that area of Britain's capital have used the yearly event as an opportunity to place values such as tolerance and cooperation on center stage. Berlin's Carnival of Culture now has a few copycats of its own in Cologne and Bielefeld.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

Little Berliners

Why wait? Berlin's smallest citizens are expected to learn and demonstrate values of tolerance at a very young age. That's why, on the Saturday before the big parade, there's a Children's Carnival of Cultures. This year roughly 1,500 children celebrated at the Mariannenplatz in Kreuzberg.

Berlin's Carnival of Cultures

See you next year!

Berliners have both created and fallen in love with their own version of Carnival. And they plan to be good hosts in 2014, too. Next year's celebration falls on June 8, when those who call Berlin home - even if just temporarily - can dance together once more.

Author: Friedel Taube / cd | Editor : Martin Kuebler