Düsseldorf Carnival: University float delights with Heine and surprises!

Düsseldorf Carnival: University float delights with Heine and surprises!

On March 3, 2025, Düsseldorf once again experienced a colorful highlight of the carnival season with the traditional Rose Monday procession. The Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) was represented with its own car for the second time after its anniversary year in 2015. This time the university even celebrated its 60th anniversary. The festive parade began at 12:22 p.m. and attracted a large number of spectators, with around 8,000 participants and 85 foot groups, underlining the university's special role in the carnival.

The HHU car, designed by the renowned car builder Jacques Tilly, bore the number 56. It focused on the university's 60th anniversary and was decorated with a quote from Heinrich Heine: "Whoever was foolish in life was never wise." This quote was chosen Heine Quote of the Year in 2016, demonstrating the university's deeper connection to its namesake.

With commitment and creativity

What particularly stood out was the accompanying foot group of 100 people who appeared in creative costumes. The formation of the procession began on Corneliusstrasse and led through numerous important streets in Düsseldorf, including Königsallee and Burgplatz. The train moved at a speed of about 2.5 km/h and lasted a total of four hours.

The motto of the 2024/25 Düsseldorf carnival session was “200 Johr – Hütt on wie et wor”, and the HHU did its part to keep the celebrations lively. The university's commitment was supported by the participation of high-ranking scientists, including Prof. Dr. Anja Steinbeck, Rector of the HHU, as well as other professors and employees of the university underpinned this.

Rector Steinbeck took an active part in the carnival procession for the first time and was consistently positive about the sense of community and the impressive effort of everyone involved. She was given a special honor when the train commentator marked the HHU car with the words "Three times Düsseldorf Helau! Heinrich Heine Helau!" welcomed.

A feast for all senses

The foot group's creative costumes set a special accent. For example, students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences wore bee and medical costumes. These combined humor with a clear message as medical students highlighted the joy of carnival with a banner: “Morbus narrensis: Hee jibbet Frohsenn op Rezzepches!”.

Another highlight was a mobile hospital bed that was rolled along with a “patient”, which underlined the thematic diversity and the fun of the event. In addition, camels and gummy bears were thrown into the crowd, which fueled the happy atmosphere. The event attracted over a million visitors, as in previous years.

In summary, it can be said that the Rose Monday procession not only once again showcased Düsseldorf's colorful culture, but also the important role of Heinrich Heine University in it. hhu.de reports that... and hdu.hhu.de highlights that…, confirm this commitment of the university and the actors who together made this traditional event an unforgettable experience.