Leipziger Illustrierte Zeitung 1844 - 'Kölnischer Carneval'

Narhalla is the name of the Mainzer Carnevalsverein’s journal that was published every week of carnival season from about the beginning of the year. It was first established in 1841 by Dr Franz Weißt and printed by Johann Wirth and ran until its ban in 1848. Carnival in Mainz, also called Mainzer Karneval, only emerged in 1838, 15 years after the customary practice was reformed into an associational and communicative practice involving Cologne’s old and new elites, i.e. mayors, merchants, professors, doctors, lawyers. Mainz is situated further south down the River Rhine and fell under administration of the Dukedom of Hesse-Darmstadt, unrelated to the Kingdom of Prussia. Mainz’ revolutionary past was also widely different to that of Cologne. In the March 1793 Mainz propagated itself a republic. This short republican and French occupation was ended by Prussian armies besieging Mainz in July 1793.

Associational carnival maintained its broad structure established by the Cologne bourgeois, but incorporated traits unique to the people and location of Mainz. Carnival in Mainz is until now generally referred to as literary-political carnival in contrast to Cologne’s exhilarating version. The carnival journal Narhalla shaped the literary-political theme of carnival. Compared to earlier carnival journals in the 1820s, it was much more tailored towards critique of the lacking freedom of press by pointedly ridiculing the censoring of parts of its issues (see page two of issue 2 ‘Warnung! An dieser verdächtigen Stelle ist ein unvorsichtiger Witz umgebracht worden’ (Warning! In this spot a careless joke has been killed.’). The literary spectrum covered prose, poetry, verses, caricatures, advertisements, announcements and essays enriched by a variety of illustrations that provide valuable political as well as societal commentary in times of censorship and small avenue for artistic, critical expression. Significant is the presence of Francophile writing including admiration for French literature and the French language, alluding to a tension between administration and the populace.

Issue 2 of 1848, for example, had illustrations portraying married life through affectionate dealings or even lewd commentary. The depiction of women in Narhalla is significant compared to Cologne’s or other carnival journals. Mainz, namely, allowed women to partake in the carnival celebrations be it through writing or in associational events, while Cologne’s carnival until this day remains a male dominated endeavour. Class or police conflict were also depicted in commentary on dress and noise. Diamond or chequered patterns of dress allude to fools’ dress, as well as headgear like the fool’s hat or antlers.

Eight issues were published in 1848. The last was published after the successful barricade fights in Berlin and the establishment of a free press, which was thoroughly celebrated in essays, mock obituaries and caricatures (not all pages of this issue are depicted here).

Unique for the 1848 was the cover, especially the title made out of miniature figures (men and women) in carnival costumes forming the letters of Narhalla. This humanesque and carnivalesque depiction suggests a sense of community, an association of individuals, forming a whole, as if carnival is an organic whole formed by individual members’ participation. Such an illustration may allude to the growing sense of German nationalism or rather a form of German identity that was shaped by associational carnival leading up to the 1848 revolution. The depiction of different characters forming the Narhalla also relates to Ludwig I, King of Bavaria’s cultural monument called Walhalla, were marble heads of important German-speaking personalities throughout history were exhibited. Narhalla in this case could on the refer to the institution, the space for carnival events and balls bringing together fools and celebrating their foolishness – a reversal of reality.