For any of you who regularly check the webcam in the Marktplatz in Tübingen (via the link on the right side of this page), you may have noticed that they have put up a tree in the Marktplatz.

And when I say up, I mean it. The tree — which resembles a Christmas tree sans ornaments — is sitting on top of a large flagpole.

You can see in the photos that there are various flags or banners displayed below the tree.

Now, why is that tree there? What do the flags signify? All good questions. To get the answers, your intrepid on-the-spot blogger stopped by the tourist information center today and asked. My supposition was that it was something tied to the Carnival season celebrations around here – the local celebration is called Fasnet, by the way.

Anyway, I asked the very nice young woman at the tourist information center why there was a flagpole with a tree on top of it in the Marktplatz. The blank look on her face told me that a) she wasn’t aware there was one, and b) she wasn’t certain it wasn’t always there if there was. But, she went and asked someone in the back room about it. The only information she came back with was that it was probably there for Fasnet.

Ah, well, that’s what I figured. But I persisted with my questions. Why is it in the Marktplatz? Was that where that parade, that happened two weeks ago, started? Ended? Is there something else that takes place there today? Tomorrow?

The girl humored me and looked up on the internet to see if there was any information to be had. She was pleasant, but really, I could have done that. Clearly, Fasnet is just not a big tourist type of thing here in Tübingen.

But I already knew that. Everyone has been telling me that the really big, traditional celebrations are in the Catholic towns near here; Tübingen hasn’t been predominantly Catholic in centuries, and that parade that happened two week ago is actually a relatively recent addition to the area Fasnet celebrations.

So, it’s still a mystery to me as to why there’s a tree sitting on top of a flagpole in the Marktplatz in Tübingen. I know, not too satisfying an answer, but that’s the problem with research … sometimes the answers aren’t easy to find, eh?

But at least the whole thing does remind me of one of my crazy Broadway show tunes… the relevent line, sung by both the kid near the middle of the song, and Hugh Jackman at the end, is “I’ll sit on a flagpole, whatever the rage, just to get my picture on the front page.”

Now, I doubt they put up that tree just to get written up in a blog. But, in the absence of any other explanation, I guess it’s as good a reason as any. 😉