Anti-Refugee Protest during a Carnival Parade in Baden (1953)

This photograph was taken during a carnival [Fastnacht] parade in Baden, in southwestern Germany. Political messages and commentary are an integral part of the long tradition of such parades. Two participants are seen carrying a sign that reads: “Baden’s worst horror: the new stream of refugees!!” The banner drew attention to the state refugee compensation scheme within the West German states, which resulted in more refugees/expellees arriving in Baden, where they needed to be housed. Since resources were already scarce, newcomers were often seen as unwanted competitors. Popular rumors and prejudices—the idea, for example, that refugees lived on support from state and local communities—also helped foment jealousy and resentment.