Military elements were incorporated which still characterize Carnival in Basel to this day: the measured marching pace to the sound of drums and piccolos. Conscription of guild members required to do military duty in the 16th century was closely connected to Carnival. Guildsīasel’s guilds had a considerable influence on the development of Carnival, the loveliest three days. New traditions and rituals sprang up which are still celebrated today as if they had existed already for centuries. In the years after the Second World War, many new cliques were established, the quality of piping and drumming rose to new levels, while the costumes and head-masks (Larve) took on their typical Basel touch. Fasnacht as we know it today took on its shape above all in the course of the latter half of the 20th century. The parades became more political and gradually adopted their typical satirical bent. The first cliques were formed, Schnitzelbank singers made their appearance for the first time, and piping and drumming gradually became the hallmark of Fasnacht. In the 19th century, the nature of Fasnacht began to change. When, during the age of Reformation, merrymaking and feasting were increasingly restricted, even banned at times, the Basel Fasnacht gradually developed into a display of resistance against the city’s authorities.
Later it was also influenced by such events as medieval jousts, military musters organized by the city’s guilds, and religious festivals before Lent.
Like with most carnival customs, the roots of the Basel Fasnacht trace back to ancient Celtic and Germanic origins and practices relating to ancestor worship, fertility rites, and the expulsion of winter. The oldest document about the Carnival in Basel dates back to 1376. However, its history is lost in the mists of time as all the relevant documents were lost in the devastating earthquake of 1356. The Carnival in Basel is Switzerland’s largest “carnival” and the main Protestant one in the world. Some of the large floats and props (Requisiten) that feature in the cortège can be admired at the Kaserne where they are on display throughout the day on Tuesday. Behind the lantern and the so-called “Vortrab” (vanguard) come the pipers, the drum major and the drummers. The sujet is also represented and reflected in the head-masks (Larve), costumes, and props (Requisiten). In some cases, a formation’s sujet is already recognizable from a distance – namely on the large lantern that precedes each traditional clique.
Unlike the Morgestraich, the cortège is an event for all Fasnacht formations: Roughly 11,000 maskers play out their sujet in fixed formations of varying size. The large street parade called cortège takes place on Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
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