Cologne Carnival - Dreigestirn

Every year there are 3 people (the Dreigestirn) who are granted the titles of Jungfrau, Prinz, and Bauer (virgin, prince and farmer), who pay a large sum of money for their privileges. The carnival prince is deemed to be the highest representative of the festivities, leading the main parades throughout the week. Traditionally, the Jungfrau ("Virgin") is always portrayed by a man dressed as a female.

As an entity, the trio has existed since 1883. In earlier times these were individual characters, but all three entered the Cologne carnival in the 1820s.

The prince, also called "Seine Tollitaet" (His Madness), is the most important personage of the Cologne carnival. His float is the final one in the large parade on Shrove Monday. The naming as "prince" came as late as 1872, prior to it the name was "Held Carneval" (hero carnival), the personification of carnival. His attributes however remained unchanged, those of a regent: crown with peacock tail, a golden chain, a girdle with glitzy stones, white undershorts and a purple jacket. A sceptre in the right hand, and a slapstick in the left one. The slapstick is known as a general symbol of the fool, but specifically its a fertility symbol and the symbol of the princely reign over his fool people during carnival.

The farmer bears the title of "Seine Deftigkeit" (His Heftyness). As Cologne is a large city, the farmer must be a stately guy. He expresses the boldness of the old privileged imperial city of Cologne (became a full fledged free imperial city finally in 1475). The sword and the flail symbolize his loyalty to the empire and his truthfullness. As the keeper of the city, he also keeps the city keys at his girdle. The key symbolizes the heroes of the city militia contingent in the Battle of Worringen AD1288, whereafter the city achieved independence from the archbishop of Cologne.

The virgin, also called "Ihre Lieblichkeit" (Her Loveliness) symbolizes the patronizing mother Colonia and is traditionally played by a man. Beard or moustache are forbidden for this role. From 1936-43, the virgin was ordered by Nazi authorities to be played by a real woman. The Cologne virgin wears a mural crown. This "defender" crown and her virginity symbolize the impregnableness of the city. Also she has a hand mirror symbolizing "female vanity", a recent attribute with no deeper meaning. Her roman dressing remind to the roman empress Agrippina (the younger, AD 15-59), wife of emperor Claudius. Agrippina was born in the city in AD15 and succeeded in getting a renaming of the place as new Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (CCAA) by AD50.