It's the weekend so how about a little travel trivia - picture identification. These five pictures were sent to me from Fodorite quokka.

Photo quokka#1 - http://www.bensbauernhof.com/whereingermanyquokka1.jpg
Photo quokka#2 - http://www.bensbauernhof.com/whereingermanyquokka2.jpg
Photo quokka#3 - http://www.bensbauernhof.com/whereingermanyquokka3.jpg
Photo quokka#4 - http://www.bensbauernhof.com/whereingermanyquokka4.jpg
Photo quokka#5 - http://www.bensbauernhof.com/whereingermanyquokka5.jpg

This note from quokka regarding the first picture: There's a special one for the carnival season (#1). That one isn't easy but can be solved. Hint: one of the oldest traditional carnivals in Germany, and definitely NOT Cologne, Mainz or Düsseldorf. I want the name of the place and the name of this figure if possible... I'll give more hints if necessary. "Fasnet" experts will know immediately.

I didn't think ANY of these were easy. I do not have a clue as to where any of the photos were taken and I thought I knew Germany fairly well. Anyone have any guesses? Ben
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I believe picture #3 is the church on the town square in Freudenstadt - Lutheran, I think.

#1 - I'm not certain where the picture was taken, but I'll guess, in this order, either 1) Rottweil, 2) Elzach or 3) Freiburg. The costumed character is called a Schuddig, whose hat is adorned with shells and carries blown-up pig bladders.

I think Picture #1 is taken in Horb Germany during Rosen Monntag (Rose Monday)- the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday. Am I close?

Thanks Ben for publishing the photos!!! I'm a bit late because I've been off to see #1, they're running around the streets of a certain little town today...

#1: Fadoinka is on the right track. Yes, this is a Schuttig. But from where?

#3: Three cheers to Larryincolorado - yes, that's the Stadtkirche (Lutheran church) in Freudenstadt in the Black Forest.

Any more guesses? Well, I tried to lead you all a bit off the beaten track.

A few hints? All right...

#2: one of the "big 3" baroque protestant churches in Germany. Look for it along the Western border of the country.

#4: Looks like a medieval town hall, and that's what it is. A remnant of the proud and wealthy past of a city in Lower Saxony - the city where I was born, in fact.

#5: Looks almost Dutch, doesn't it?

Oops...it is a Schuttig...not Schuddig, as I spelled it.

From what I have learned, the Schuttig is synonymous with the city of Elzach. There aren't any architectural features in the picture, so it's really hard to try to find out where it was taken.

I still don't know anymore about photo #1 than when we started. Fadoinka apparently got the general area but no confirmation from quokka. I now know more about Fasching and the different masks than I ever did before. It sure looks like a Elzacher Teufelsschuttig / Rägemolli but I never found an exact match either.

I do believe that photo #4 is the old town hall of Braunschweig - Brunswick, Niedersachsen, Germany so I'm guessing that is where quokka was born.

I'm afraid these photos were just too tough for this tourist - and a lot of others it appears... Ben

#1: Fadoinka is right - the Schuttig is the main character in Elzach, and Schuttigs do not exist anywhere else.

#4: Ben is correct - Altstadtrathaus in Braunschweig.

Seems i have to solve the mystery...

#2: Ludwigskirche and Ludwigsplatz in Saarbrücken.
Probably the most beautiful baroque square in this country.

#5: Neue Kirche in Emden, Ostfriesland.