Erfurt (dpa/th) – Thuringia’s largest carnival parade in Erfurt falls through again after a two-year Corona break. The Erfurter Carneval Community (GEC) has canceled the move planned for February 19, as the city administration and GEC announced on Monday. GEC President Thomas Kemmich cited rising costs for personnel and security due to increased security requirements as the reasons. As a replacement for the move, the city wants to organize a carnival festival on the cathedral square.
Under the current conditions, it is not possible to organize the move as usual in terms of scope, quality, safety and standards, according to the GEC President. In addition, the preparations started late because of the corona pandemic.
According to the city, the GEC had given the total cost of the move at 150,000 euros. “We were willing to provide financial support for the move on a large scale, that was all we could do,” said Mayor Andreas Bausewein (SPD) after a conversation with the carnivalists. According to the city, the municipal subsidy was around 100,000 euros, which was ultimately not enough. The cancellation was “a rational decision,” said Bausewein.
The carnival clubs organized in the GEC are to be present at the festival on the cathedral square that is now planned and organized and financed by the city. They should be able to present themselves to their audience on a stage. The city and GEC want to develop a concept together for the 2024 carnival.
In the past few days, there have been numerous cancellations of carnival events in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia for the same reasons. In Leipzig, this year’s carnival parade is on the brink due to higher costs and a lack of money.
