Wiesbaden: Blackfacing – carnival society apologizes

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Envoy of the Mörlau carnival society with Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU, in the picture on the far right)

Photo: Hannes P Albert / picture alliance / dpa

After a reception by Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU), a carnival society asked for forgiveness for a man painted black.

We apologize "expressly to all people we could have hurt," said the board of the 1st Ober-Mörler carnival society "Mörlau" on Sunday.

"Fastnacht should be there for everyone and this is also very important to us," the statement said.

The board takes the matter very seriously.

"For this reason, we have decided to remove the corresponding images and content on our social media pages and to cancel Mohren's public appearances with immediate effect, as we do not want to offend anyone." The figure is a symbol of the Ober-Mörlener Fastnacht and can be found in the coat of arms of the carnival society.

The practice of putting on black make-up, known as »blackfacing«, has been criticized as racist because of its history.

In the US in particular, white performers used the getup on the 18th and 19th century minstrel shows to poke fun at black people (read more about it here).

Prime Minister Rhein and his wife Tanja Raab-Rhein received representatives of the Hessian carnival clubs at Schloss Biebrich on Saturday.

"The clubs decide for themselves which club members they want to attend the reception with," a spokesman for the State Chancellery said on Saturday.

According to the State Chancellery, 425 maddies from more than 100 clubs of the Central Rhine Carnival Interest Group and the Carnival Association of Kurhessen were invited on Saturday, including numerous child prince couples.

The head of government thanked the royal couple and the court on behalf of the voluntary commitment of all Fastnachters and carnivalists in Hesse.

jpz/dpa