Elferrat

The Elferrat is the parliament of fools Empire in Carnival, Carnival, Carnival and Fastelovend. This consists of eleven dignitaries.

Genesis

The term has its roots probably in French law, which was introduced with the occupation of the left bank of the Rhine territories by France after the French Revolution. French was the official language, there were French laws and jurisdiction. In the course of this revolution had also brought civil rights, with a certain freedom of speech and equality of citizens before the law.

Of the citizens robbed of their rights, the Elf was interpreted in the spirit of the French Revolution as a figure who symbolizes the equality of all men, so to speak, one next one. " ELF " can be formed from the initial letters of the slogan of the French Revolution: " Egalite, Liberté, Fraternité " - " liberty, equality, fraternity ".

This acronym was first introduced at the beginning of the Third Republic in 1871 as a foreign exchange and explained in retrospect to main motto of the revolution. In the course of the revolution, this was just one of many three formulas such as " healing, strength, unity" and " power, equality, justice " can not often be found in the historical documents of that period than the latter.

With the defeat of Napoleon, the transient time of the civil rights came to an end, and it came to the restoration of absolutism. In Mainz, the Austrians and Prussians were together the military power. Cologne, the once free imperial imperial city came entirely under Prussian rule. The Elferrat understood in its origins as a Council in the bourgeois-democratic spirit, later hidden under the dunce cap. The official term was introduced by the Rhenish Carnival reform 1823.

According Töller since the 16th century regarded as fools number eleven on the number of board members of a carnival association probably dates from the first Aachen carnival association of Florresei, which was founded in 1829. Because while are named in the articles of Florresei from 1829 explicitly eleven dignitaries, find apparently no source documents that suggest for the period before 1830 in a similar significance of the number eleven in both Cologne and Düsseldorf carnival. (...) In 1829 had been placed in the statutes of Florresei the foundation for the emergence of the eleven-member Association Board, which quickly developed into the characteristic governing body of all foolish clubs.

The Elferrat in today's carnival, carnival and carnival

The Elferrat is supported amongst others, the Penalty Council Advisory Board. In some cities, there are separate female councils, such as the Achterrat in Freiburg because the male-dominated traditional associations only allow women in positions such as the trapeze artists, but not in these representative positions. In many clubs, so-called honor Penalty councils are appointed, usually earned club members or sponsors of the association such as politicians, businessmen etc.

Tasks

The Elferrat plans and organizes the club's session events, such as balls, carnival sessions and Relocations. But even outside of the foolish time to pack Penalty Council members and their wives at various festivals with.