Cologne Carnival Guide
2019
Partner im:
Mobilitätspartner des KÜlner Karnevals
Regio NRW
Useful Information Opening hours for museums, Cologne Cathedral and shops Most museums will be closed between Women’s Carnival Day and Carnival Tuesday. Any exceptions will be announced at www.museen.koeln. Cologne Cathedral is open for visitors only on Carnival Friday and Carnival Tuesday. Shops in Cologne will also have different opening hours, but there is no consistent rule. On Women’s Carnival Day shops usually close early, on Rose Monday most remain closed. Opening hours for Cologne Tourist Board Service Center & KölnShop: Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1, 50667 Cologne (opposite Cologne Cathedral) Mon – Sat 9am–8pm, Sun and Holidays 10am–5pm www.koelntourismus.de Opening hours during carnival: Thursday (Women’s Carnival Day): 9am–2pm Carnival Sunday: 10am till approx. 1pm Rose Monday: 9am till approx. 12.30pm In the KölnShop on site or online (www.der-koelnshop.de) you can buy “genuine kölsch” souvenirs, original gifts and practical items. During the carnival season there are also carnival goods available. Additionally, the Cologne Tourist Board is happy to help you with searching for and booking your carnival accommodation. Booking hotline: +49/(0)221/34 64 30 or www.cologne-tourism.com. EDELGARD mobil Women of all ages can come to this location to find help, information and advice. Further information at www.edelgard.koeln. More fun without glass You can celebrate carnival in the Altstadt “Old Town” and in the Zülpicher district without worrying about stepping on glass shards. Carrying as well as selling glass and glass bottles is temporarily prohibited in these areas. You have the possibility to dispose of glass bottles and drinking glasses on site before entering glass-free zones.
DB Service Info DB hotline Ticket bookings, information on fares, timetables and services Tel. 0180 6996633 (Charges: EUR 0.20 per call/landlines, EUR 0.60 max. per call/mobile)
Online ticket bookings Service (24/7) for all questions concerning your online ticket booking via www.bahn.com Tel. 0180 6101111
O ur tip!
(Charges: EUR 0.20 per call/landlines, EUR 0.60 max. per call/mobile)
Mobility service The central no. for planning barrier-free trips by train (6am–10pm) Tel. 0180 6512512
The VRS carnival Ticket (KarnevalsTicket)
(Charges: EUR 0.20 per call/landlines, EUR 0.60 max. per call/mobile)
DB hotline for lost and found items Mon – Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 10am–8pm Tel. 0900 1990599 (Charges: EUR 0.59 per call/landlines, different prices per call/mobile)
Emergency numbers and hotlines Police: 110 Fire Service: 112 Ambulance: 112 Lost and Found: 115
This allows one person to travel as much as they like within the VRS network during the six-day carnival (28/02 – 05/03/2019) on a single ticket costing € 25.90. The ticket is valid for all forms of local transport throughout the whole VRS network – including travel within the city of Cologne itself (buses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams). Further information at bahn.de/carnival.
1 Person, 6 Days,
within VR
S network
€ 25.90 14
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Knieskopp [kni:sˌkɔp] – a miser, a mean person. If someone buys you a glass of Kölsch, you should return the favour from time to time.
Kölsch – English dictionary
Muuze [mu:t͜sə] – sweet baked goods, on sale only during the carnival season. Pänz [pɛnts] ͜ – an affectionate term for small children. Pluutemann [ˈplu:təˌman] – also called “Lappenclown”, wearing a costume made from small folds of colourful cloth, a symbol of popular carnival in Cologne. Strüüßche [ˈʃtry:sʝə] – a small bunch of flowers, a popular item that is ͜ thrown into the crowds at the parades on Carnival Monday and other days.
Blötschkopp [ˈbløt͜ʃˌkɔp] – idiot. An insult that is almost affectionate, not to be taken seriously. Bützen [ˈbʏt͜sə] – to give a quick kiss. This is not a sin in Cologne carnival. It is a sign of joy and happiness that involves no commitment and can therefore be given freely. Decke Trumm [ˈdekə] [ trʊm˙] – the big drum. This instrument is at the head of the bands in the parade on Carnival Monday. Doosch [do:ʃ] – thirst. In the days of the street carnival, the fools have a great thirst for Kölsch beer. Fastelovendsjeck [fastəˈlɔ•vəntsˌjɛk] – Carnival fool. Someone who ͜ is captivated by carnival every year anew. Hätz [hɛt͜s] – the heart, without which carnival and the songs sung at this time are unimaginable. Halve Hahn [ˈhal•və] [ha•n] – literally “half a chicken”, but in reality a bread roll with cheese. Imi [ˈɪmɪ] – an immigrant, meaning anyone who does not come from Cologne, but is always welcome for a drink of Kölsch beer. Kamelle(büggel) [kaˈmɛlə ˌbʏgəl] – sweets (bag). Kamelle refers to all the items that are thrown to the crowds from the floats in the Rose Monday parade and are collected in bags of all kinds. 12
Essential phrases for Cologne carnival Kölle Alaaf! [koelə ala:f] – is the greeting used during carnival time in Cologne. It can be heard in every street all over town. `ne Kölsch, bitte! [nə kʰoelʃ bɪtə] – a Kölsch beer, please. Ich künnt dich bütze! [ɪç ky:nt dɪç bytsə] also see “Bützen”, play of words – You’ve made my day. Literally: I could give you a quick kiss (on the cheek). `ne VRS KarnevalsTicket, bitte [nə fau er s ˈkarnəvalstɪkɪt bɪtə] – a VRS carnival Ticket, please. 13
Best Breweries
Knowledge for champions
Brauerei zur Malzmühle
Gilden im Zims
mit „HÖHNERStall“ Heumarkt 6 50667 Köln www.brauereizurmalzmuehle.de
„Heimat kölscher Helden” Heumarkt 77 50667 Köln www.haus-zims.de
Anno Pief
Früh am Dom
Im Stavenhof 8 50668 Köln www.anno-pief.de
Am Hof 12 50667 Köln www.frueh-am-dom.de
Brauerei Päffgen
Brauhaus Sion
Friesenstraße 64 – 66 50670 Köln www.paeffgen-koelsch.de
Unter Taschenmacher 5–7 50667 Köln www.brauhaus-sion.de
Em Kölsche Boor Eigelstein 121 50668 Köln www.koelscheboor.com
Gaffel am Dom Bahnhofsvorplatz 1 50667 Köln www.gaffelamdom.de
1 300 3.000 2.800 1.700 1.400 130 55 1 1
million spectators tons of sweets persons on foot volunteers persons in dance companies persons on floats chartered trains bands Cologne Dreigestirn prince
Numbers: Rose Monday parade (Rosenmontagszug) 2018 provided by Festkomitee Kölner Karneval von 1823 e.V.
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Hot Spots 11.11. – Opening of the carnival Season From 11.11am Opening celebration for the fifth season on Heumarkt hosted by Willi Ostermann Gesellschaft. From 9am to 7pm a diverse stage programme accompanies the festivities. It is advisable to get there before 9am.
hood Parades) follows the same route as the Monday parade. In a family atmosphere, local societies and schools get together and show their own, often extremely imaginative parade floats.
Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) From 10.00am The big Monday parade (Rosenmontagszug) sets off
through the city centre. Its motto is “Our dialect is our home”. Many have their favourite spot where they celebrate with friends. They bring their own food and drink, and wait excitedly until finally: “The parade is coming.” To get the best view of the Rosenmontag parade, you can buy tickets online at www.koelnticket.de or in the Kaatebus (a bus for ticket sales) on Neumarkt for a place in one of the stands. From 4.30am Early risers can watch the carnival floats being taken out of the hall where they are built on Maarweg in the Braunsfeld district.
Early in 2019 Presentation of the new carnival urban railway with participation of the Cologne Dreigestirn and the Festkomitee Kölner Karneval. Weiberfastnacht (Women’s Carnival Day) From 11.11am Opening of the street carnival on Heumarkt. It is advisa ble to get there by 9am. From 1.30pm Historical enactment of the story of “Jan and Griet” at the Severinstorburg city gate, followed by a procession to Alter Markt.
Carnival Sunday From 10.30am The Schull- und Veedelszöch (School and Neighbour-
Shrove Tuesday Parades in the city neighbourhoods In many city districts, the home
Carnival Friday From 4pm “Star march”, i.e. a convergence of parades from different directions, to the Old Town, followed by a programme of music and carnival performances on Alter Markt. Carnival Saturday From 10.30am Funkenbiwak on Neumarkt. The “Rote Funken rut-wieß vun 1823” (Red Sparks, a carnival society) runs this “bivouac” to commemorate the open-air camps of the former city guards . An atmospheric festivity with pea soup and Kölsch beer. From 7pm The Geisterzug (Ghost Parade) goes from Herbert-Lewin-Straße to Köln-Sülz. Its motto is “Kölle kritt dr Kollaps – mieh Platz för Rädcher”
of the traditional “kölsch” (Cologne) way of life, Tuesday is the most important day of carnival, as local groups organise their own parades. Midnight Burning of the Nubbel figure. Many pubs and breweries organise symbolic burnings of the Nubbel. A small parade through the surrounding neighbourhood plus the accusation and conviction of the Nubbel are an essential part of the tradition.
Ash Wednesday A meal of fish, served in many restaurants in Cologne, is the traditional way to start off Lent. A cross of ash on the forehead symbolises the willingness to do penance of people who observe the Lenten season and prepare for Easter.
(literally: “Cologne gridlock – make room for bicycles“)”. No sweets are thrown at this parade but plenty of kisses by witches and vampires. 8
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Costume Tips Onion Layers Carnival without costumes is unthinkable! So if you want to join in and experience the street carnival and parades, don’t fail to get a costume. Our tip is to dress like an onion, with a number of different layers. After watching the parade, everyone goes to a pub, where it gets hot as people sing, dance, and link arms to sway to the music. The carnival fools who can then take off a layer or two are the smart ones.
Makeup All it takes is a little bit of carnival make-up, and in no time at all your face has the wild eyes of a tiger, a clown’s merry laugh or the mysterious look of a fairy or elf. The make-up is available everywhere in Cologne and comes with lots of suggestions for creating a perfect look. As kissing and flirting are an essential part of carnival, lipstick that doesn’t come off when you kiss is very useful, and a touch of fixing powder makes sure that your painted-on costume stays in place.
Costume Shops Deiters Gürzenichstraße 25 50667 Köln
Deko Schmitt Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße 5 51149 Köln
Karnevalswierts Otto-Hahn-Straße 17 50997 Köln
Kölner Kostümkiste Bonner Wall 112 50677 Köln
Creativ-Discount Köln Hohenstaufenring 66 – 70 50674 Köln
Jot Jelunge Lindenstraße 53 50674 Köln
Party Clown Paul-Henri-Spaak Straße 12 51069 Köln
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The Cologne Dreigestirn
Prince Marc I.
Bauer (Farmer) Markus
Jungfrau (Maiden) Catharina 4
Prince Carnival symbolises a merry attitude towards life. Marc Michelske has carnival running in his blood: His great-great-grandparents were founding members of the Lesegesellschaft zu Köln von 1872. The father of three works as a lawyer together with his father at Sozietät Michelske. His hobbies include reading, KEC (Kölner Eishockey Club) and practicing with his dancing group. “His Sturdiness” defends the Maiden with his sense of humour. Markus Meyer is founder and owner of Allfinanz-Agentur Markus Meyer. Since April 2018 he has held the offices of president and treasurer of the Große Allgemeine KG von 1900. In his leisure time he enjoys playing the saxophone and regularly participates in show jumping competitions. “Her Loveliness” symbolises the beauty and intactness of the city. Michael Everwand entered into the family business Everwand & Fell after his studies. He has a passion for antique cars and racing bicycles. Moreover, he is very gifted in languages: besides Dutch, English, French and Spanish he is now learning Italian.
© Höhner picture: Manfred Esser
The Prince, Farmer and Maiden are the highest-ranking representatives of Cologne carnival and are newly selected each year. The Dreigestirn (the Triumvirate of Prince, Farmer and Maiden) for the 2019 carnival season is not from one, but from three different carnival societies: KG Schlenderhaner Lumpe e. V., Große Allgemeine KG von 1900 Köln e. V. and Lesegesellschaft zu Köln von 1872. Three carnival revellers from three carnival societies – the last time this happened was in 1955!
Wir halten die Welt an The popular Cologne band Höhner has been delighting audiences for more than 40 years. Their hits “Viva Colonia” and “Echte Fründe” are among the classic Cologne carnival songs. Refrain of the latest hit: Komm’ wir halten die Welt an, um ewig zu bleiben. An diesem Tag, an dem der Himmel mit uns lacht. Komm’ wir halten die Welt an, um Geschichte zu schreiben, weil dieser Tag uns unsterblich macht. Composers: Henning Krautmacher, John Parsons-Morris, Hannes Schöner, Jens Streifling; Lyrics: Frank Ramond; Daniel “Dän” Dickkopf; Publisher: Edition Aanfang
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The Essentials of Cologne carnival Alaaf is the call of Cologne’s carnival fools. It derives from the cry of “all af Kölle”, meaning “Cologne above everything”. Today the call is only heard in the context of carnival, now in reverse order: “Kölle Alaaf”. To shout “Helau” – the cry heard at carnival in the rival city Düsseldorf – is taboo in Cologne! The carnival season in Cologne is known as the Session. It starts on 11 November at 11.11am and ends in the night leading into Ash Wednesday. The “Festkomitee Kölner Karneval von 1823” represents the interests
of 120 carnival societies in Cologne. The task of this committee is to uphold the traditions and customs of Cologne carnival and to maintain its characteristic, original “kölsch” (Cologne) character. This includes providing the trio of Prince, Farmer and Maiden (Dreigestirn) and organising the parade on Carnival Monday. In 2015 Cologne carnival – together with carnival in Aachen, Bonn and Dusseldorf – was included in the German federal register of non material cultural heritage under the title “Rhineland carnival culture with all its local variations”.
Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), when the biggest parade in Germany passes through the whole city centre, is an unofficial holiday in Cologne. The term does not come from roses but from the verb “rosen”, an old word meaning to go wild or behave excessively. There are smaller parades known as Veedelszüge, which have their own special charm, in all districts of the city on the days of the street carnival. Nubbel – this is the name of a figure made from straw or rags that embodies all the sins committed by the fools during the carnival days. Nubbel hangs from the front of many pubs, and is burnt in a ceremony held at midnight, when Ash Wednesday begins.
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Originally, the market women in Cologne made merry on the Thursday called Weiberfastnacht (Women’s Carnival Day). To celebrate their emancipation, they tore the bonnets, which stood for their married status, from each other’s heads. On this day the women cut off men’s ties – a symbol for their loss of power. Nowadays this Thursday is the opening day of the street carnival. The dancing girls of all carnival societies are generally called Funkenmariechen, although it originally applied only to the uniformed dancers of the two oldest societies, the Rote and Blaue Funken (Red and Blue Sparks).
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Where does carnival come from? Carnival, also known in the Cologne dialect as “Fastelovend” or “Fasteleer”, is a celebration of “the world turned upside down”. As long ago as Roman times, the Saturnalia or Bacchanalia were celebrated, festivities at which slaves took on the role of masters for a few days, and vice versa. In the Middle Ages, the strict principles of Christianity ruled everyday life – and some time off from obeying the rules was therefore a welcome change for the people, as well as for the clergy. Evidence of this are 800-year-old writings by monks that describe the “mad” days – a time when even the residents of monasteries danced, kissed and drank on the eve of the long period of fasting and self-denial in Lent. Old rituals of “the upside-down world” made their way into the calendar of the church:
carnival weekend is always seven weeks before Easter, and the carnival season finishes on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. The term “carnival” does indeed derive from the period of fasting: “carne” is the Latin word for “meat”, and “levare” means “to take away” – this was therefore the period when meat was removed. Originally, carnival or “Fastnacht” (the eve of the fast) was only celebrated in the night leading into Ash Wednesday. Today the carnival season starts on 11 November at 11.11am. However, the carnival week, also known as the street carnival, is the main period of merrymaking. It starts on the day called Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, and ends with the burning of Nubbel on the Tuesday.
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Photo credits DB AG, Region NRW/Smilla Dankert: pp. 2, 3, 11, 13, 15; Festkomitee Kölner Karneval von 1823: cover picture, p. 4; Fotolia/Dan Race: p. 6; Fotolia/fotofun: p. 7; Höhner: p. 5; Joachim Rieger: p. 12; Rheinisches Bildarchiv: p. 1; Thinkstock: p. 10 DB Regio AG, Region NRW Willi-Becker-Allee 11 40227 Düsseldorf With the collaboration of Festkomitee Kölner Karneval von 1823 Maarweg 134 50825 Köln www.koelnerkarneval.de www.facebook.com/koelnerkarneval.de Cologne Tourist Board Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1 50667 Köln www.cologne-tourism.com Responsible for content J.P. Bachem Verlag GmbH Ursulaplatz 1 50668 Köln www.bachem.de/verlag
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