A prince with a heart for the Herti

The Carnival Prince 2026 of the Letzibuzäli guild in Zug is Sven I Probst. He comes from the Herti district, but was only present in cardboard form at his presentation.
 

The sound of drums can be heard in the distance, gradually getting closer. It’s an unmistakable sign that the official delegation from the Letzibuzäli guild in Zug is on its way to the Powder Tower (Pulverturm) in Zug, where the carnival society presents its new prince every year on 11th November, the traditional start of the Fasnacht (carnival) activities.

Sven I Probst has been chosen this year. He himself was not present at his premiere, however, as he is currently visiting a North African country with his partner Margrith Meiler, who will accompany him during the carnival days of 2026.

This caused a brief moment of astonishment among the Letzibuzäli guild and its supporters on site, but this quickly subsided, as carnival revellers are maSven Probststers of metamorphosis. The second chosen princess – Jana Livia Probst, the daughter of Sven Probst – accepted the homage of other carnival heads, and also spoke a few words to them.

One of these prominent carnival representatives was Roman I from Baar. As a well-informed guest knew, the head of the Räbefasnacht guild is not actually allowed to leave the municipal boundaries of Baar with his sceptre and special robe. But he said that he had obtained all the necessary permits to pay homage to the new princess of the Letzibuzäli guild in the Pulverturm.

On site in person from January
But there was another reason for the appearance of the Räbenvater at the event: like Sven Probst, Roman Müller is a member of the Baar association ‘Fruchtbaar’. This association is a fixture at the Baar carnival in the Beizendorf near the community hall (Gemeindesaal), with a motto that fits the carnival season. It is responsible for promoting carnival ideas and ‘raising the general good mood’. This is usually done with the help of Baar beer. And this carnival guild from Baar now also has a prince in Sven I. So the members of Fruchtbaar can no longer be denied their ‘royal family’ status.

As Roman I. explained at the event in the Pulverturm in Zug, he had already spoken on the phone with the designated Letzibuzäli prince. Sven I and his two princesses, Jana Livia Probst and Margrith Meiler, will now take up their high offices on 10th January 2026. One of their first official acts will be to attend the enthronement of the Baar Räbenvater on 24th January. There, over a Baar beer, Sven I and his entourage will be able to receive some good tips on how to get through carnival with dignity. As always, there are many official appointments.

The motto for the 2026 Lebuz carnival season is ‘Love is in the Air’. This was a rather obvious choice, as the Letzibuzäli parade through the Herti district will take place on 14th February 2026. A date that is also marked as Valentine's Day in the calendar.

The new prince is on holiday, and was only present as a cardboard figure. His daughter, Princess Jana, represented him. Also present at the presentation were guild master Jürg Messmer (left) and master of ceremonies Andre Odermatt (right).           Photo: Jakob Ineichen
 

The prince is a true Hertian
Of course, the presentation of the designated Letzibuzäli Prince Sven I would not be complete without a description of the person himself. This was taken care of by the master of ceremonies of the Letzibuzäli guild, André Odermatt. Sven Probst's father Paul was a key player for EV Zug between 1972 and 1980, and lived in the Herti district. The new Letzibuzäli Prince also grew up in this neighbourhood, and also played for EV Zug. He proudly showed this in the guild's Carnival Guide (Fasnachtsführer): he is shown wearing a legendary EVZ jersey in a photo with his princesses. The picture with the big Herti heart also shows the family dog Quinn and the horse Rosie.

Andre Odermatt revealed that Sven Probst's favourite food is Rahmschnitzel (veal escalope with a cream sauce) and, as already mentioned, his favourite drink is beer. The master of ceremonies also announced that Sven Probst cannot stand negative, dishonest people. His weaknesses include impatience, and he also has trouble with losing.

The above rarely happened when Sven Probst played for the EVZ seniors, as this team won the Swiss championship title five times at that level. But it is well documented that Sven Probst, as player-coach, occasionally took players of the ice because he was so determined to win a game.

It is therefore fitting that, as Sven I with his two princesses Margrith and Jana, he will not have to deal with such tensions. He will be the absolute boss during the carnival season – and otherwise it's all family business. In his role as Prince Chairman to the new Princely Guard (Herrschergarde) for 2026, Gregor R. Bruhin, who was Prince of the Year 2020, said: ‘Something big is coming your way.’