Hidden Cologne #4

free // NO 4

URBAN ART & CULTURE • ARCHITECTURE • FOOD • MUSIC • NEW WORK • DESIGN

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Editorial The places in “Hidden Cologne” are a safe haven for their communities

After months of lockdown, this summer’s reopening of the city’s restaurants and bars felt like a whole new lease on life. It was such a joy to finally see people out and about, eating cake or sipping cocktails once again – even in the places around the city that we used to avoid prior to the pandemic!

So you can imagine how delighted we were to also see our absolute favourite spots gradually coming back to life, from the small café next to our office to our local neighbourhood pubs. Shortly before going to print, even the clubs were able to open their doors again – and as a recent study has shown, nightlife venues play a vital role for younger people in particular.

During the long, restrictive months of the pandemic, we were lucky enough to be able to rely on a community for whom these places are more than just somewhere to have fun in their spare time. A community that has its own small art spaces, makes music, tries out new ways of working or runs theatre groups. And it is this community to whom we are dedicating this issue. These are the people who really make Cologne the city it is – and who refuse to let even a global pandemic stand in their way.

Enjoy reading (and exploring)!

The Hidden Cologne team

hidden cologne is published by Stadtrevue Verlag

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free // NO 4

URBAN ART & CULTUR

E • ARCHITECTURE

• FOOD • MUSIC • NEW

WORK • DESIGN

Seasonal highlights

made by

The best events for literature, music and film aficionados, our favourite art tour and a popularhangout for local illustrators

Contents 36

A question of trust During the pandemic, Cologne learnt that sometimes its citizens know best

6 Seasonal highlights There’s always something going on in the city, but here’s our pick of what not to miss

8

8

Eating out in Cologne: a fast an n h

Paulownias and dwarf goats

Start the day off right with Turkish menemen, vegan cake and German bread at our favourite spots

A summer stroll exploring Cologne’s natural diversity: from the Forest Laboratory to Lindenthal Animal Park

16 n

o of on

24 t

From no-go area to beer garden: over the past fewyears, Ebertplatz has become one of the city’s most popular squares

The journalist enjoys taking time out in the park and watching the sunset on a mini golf course

10 t in th of Cologne’s biggest employers are flying the flag for LGBTIQ to increase their appeal to new recruits

12

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A day in the life of ...

Jojo Berger The singer in Cologne band Querbeat loves the shabby chic of his Südstadt neigbourhood

t

mm in th it Sunny Cologne through the eyes of photographer Alfred Jansen

36 A day in the life of ...

Eva Himmighofen The Cologne tourist guide takes us on a walking tour of her favourite coffee shops

46

28

Jazzing things up

Cologne for Future

Janning Trumann is one of the key figures on Cologne’s young jazz scene

The importance of climate and environmental protection has been growing in Cologne of late

20

o of on

18

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A day in the life of ...

Rebekka Endler

n

After years of neglect, a fountain and local artists have made Ebertplatz the hippest square in Cologne

30 Eating out in Cologne: off an a From traditional cakes and patisserie-style tarts to a vegan iced latte: our favourite spots for a short refuel break

34

The modern age of m itati a m A bicycle tour of post-war churches in the north of Cologne

48 Eating out in Cologne: Dinner restaurants The finest meat, gourmet vegan cuisine, tradition and modernity: the city’s best spots for dinner

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Paulownias and dwarf goats A stroll around the west of Cologne reveals the endangered diversity of the city’s tree population

asti sa s th a

A day in the life of ...

Cologne start-up Vytal aims to replace all single-use takeaway containers with their reusable plastic bowls

Seven Cologne locals tell us their favourite ways to spend a perfect day in the city

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24

New Work, or what you really want

Design stores with style

The 1970s philosophy of New Work is proving surprisingly popular in 2021 Cologne

These five unique stores embody Cologne’s solid reputation as a design metropolis

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66

A day in the life of ...

Bassam Ghazi

60 Sustainable urban jungle Fluffy pampas grass, gypsophila and exotic succulents are adding colour to homes in Cologne

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Start-up meet-ups

76 A day in the life of ...

Matthias Hoffmann

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A visit to four very different art locations off the beaten tourist track

72 Where do start-up founders get together in Cologne?

A secluded spot on the river Rhine is the personal haven of Cologne theatre director Bassam Ghazi

ts a ts an an eyewitness to the past

asti sa s th a Cologne startup Vytal aims to to replace all single-use cutlery, plates and cups with reusable ones

o o n s a s n Mixologists at work

From Sri Lankan experiments to cool chic and playful combinations: professional drinkers will be spoilt for choice here

68 A day in the life of ...

Odo Rumpf The artist and curator appreciates how outlandish ideas are brought to life in Cologne

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A day in the life of ...

Julia Komp The Michelin-starred chef can often be found hanging out in Cologne’s finest shisha bars

90 Shopping in Cologne Cologne’s enviably unique mix of quirky stores make it a popular destination for shoppers

92

The baritone singer takes a stroll through his diverse neighbourhood Nippes

80 Where to stay in Cologne From an originally designed bunk in a dormitory room to a beautiful, neoGothic boutique hotel with cathedral-like vibes

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Good to know Useful tips for your trip to Cologne

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Food and drink shopping: Cook-it-yourself The best places to buy meat, vegetables, beer, liquorice and spices for a perfect night in

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A question of trust

During the pandemic, Cologne learnt that sometimes its citizens simply know best Text Christian Werthschulte | Photography Thomas Schäkel

When the weather improved and the number of coronavirus cases started falling, chairs and tables started popping up on streets all over the city. These were generally found on former parking spaces, sometimes surrounded by a small fence and flowerpots, sometimes with plant tubs – or just plonked down on the asphalt and cobblestones. The city’s café and restaurant owners had always wanted to use the parking spaces in front of their establishments rather than the pavement. But the objections were too loud: where are people supposed to park their cars? And then the coronavirus pandemic suddenly opened the door to things that had been virtually unthinkable before. Al fresco dining and drinking at tables on parking spaces being just one of them.

Another is a new open-air area for music. There was talk of this back in 2016, when the CDU and the Greens formed an alliance in Cologne City Hall. Five years later, it was done and dusted. In Poll, on the right bank of the Rhine, the Süd-

brücke – an area measuring several thousand square metres where concerts and other events could be held – was opened next to the railway bridge. There will also be a beer garden in a corner that was previously popular for picnics. And for those who enjoy getting their hands dirty, there will also be an urban gardening plot. A few hundred metres further, on the grounds of a tennis club, a small stage was set up in summer 2021 for experimental concerts and theatre performances. As the location is a potential flood area, this would have been unthinkable in pre-pandemic times.

So why did it take the local effects of a global pandemic to finally set the wheels of Cologne’s regulatory authorities (and their frequently entrenched, intransparent processes) in motion? We don’t know.

Maybe it’s a kind of catch-up modernisation? This is because people in Cologne are often further than their local authorities permit. After all, a beaten path is not only an infringement of rules but also points to shortcomings in city planning:

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Inspired by citizens: Bicycle lanes on Cologne’s Ring road

people clearly need to take a path other than the officially designated one.

This discrepancy between actual needs and official directives is particularly apparent when it comes to cycling in Cologne. When the pandemic reared its ugly head, trams remained empty while roads and cycle lanes filled up, the risk of infection being lower than on public transport. This is a problem for Cologne traffic and city planners because everything has revolved around cars to date. If the volume of car traffic decreases on certain routes, cyclists can be given their own lanes. But if car and bicycle traffic increase at the same time, it’s the cyclists who lose out – after all, it’s not that easy to simply redirect a tram line.

This means that more and more cyclists are being crammed into bicycle lanes that were already too narrow to begin with.

When local people, rather than local administration, take the initiative, it soon becomes clear how things can be improved. There’s a wonderful cycle lane on parts of Cologne’s ring road boulevard:

wide enough for cyclists to overtake each other and coloured differently to the car lanes, where the speed limit is now just 30 kilometres an hour. This is the result of the ‘Ring Frei’ initiative that has been working for years to give cyclists their rightful place on the ring road, rather than rerouting them via side streets as intended by the city administration.

2021 could well be the year in which the City of Cologne finally understands that the best way forward is to trust its citizens. After all, there is a lot going on right now: the pandemic and the housing shortage are behind the trend towards people moving out of the city, which will hopefully not lead to an increase in commuter car traffic. A whole new district – Kreuzfeld – is currently being planned in the north of Cologne, providing various forms of ecologically oriented housing for 10,000 people. Examining the consequences of climate change would go well beyond the scope of this piece. But suffice to say, there is work to be done – so what are we waiting for?

People in Cologne are often further than their local authorities

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Seasonal highlights Cologne has something to offer all year round Text Christian Werthschulte Illustration Ibou Gueye

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music

Week-End-Fest If festivals were supermarkets, then Week-End-Fest would be a boutique! Instead of huge stages with lots of bands playing at the same time, its team of organisers brings together a handful of artists who each play a full concert, encores included! The WeekEnd-Fest refuses to be pigeonholed into specific genres. After all, who’s to say you can’t have an avant-garde electro producer, a free jazz band and a Japanese yacht rock musician taking their turn on the same stage? And while you’re tapping your toes, you can admire the modernist, 60s-style surroundings of Mülheim’s City Hall, which the Week-End-Fest calls its home.

Autumn, weekendfest.de

literature

start-ups

Cologne Literature Night

Pirate Summit / Pirate Live

Even on Cologne’s literature scene, the era of great intellectuals and highbrow culture is long gone. But that’s not the end of the world, because here in the city one authoritative voice has been replaced by lots of different voices with even more to say – whether in the form of lyrics, prose or journalism. Not to mention a raft of small publishing houses that present all of the above in lovingly produced editions. The whole scene comes together at Cologne Literature Night, which was held for the first time in 2019. Readings and performances take place throughout the entire city – in museums, cafés or art spaces, all of which are easy to reach by bike or public transport.

The Cologne start-up scene must be eagerly anticipating the end of the pandemic, especially now that the Pirate Summit, Cologne’s craziest start-up event, has changed its format. Prior to the recent event itself, which was streamed, the organisers visited start-ups throughout the whole region to find candidates for their Out of the Box Award. COVID case numbers permitting, by 2022 the coders and tech entrepreneurs will be able to return to Odonien, which is usually where clubbers come to dance in the open air until the sun comes up. At the Pirate Summit, founders meet successful entrepreneurs and everyone listens attentively to industry veterans passing on their experience. Here’s hoping it will be possible in person again next year.

Autumn, koelner-literaturnacht.de

Late summer, piratesummit.com

exhibition

Museum Night On Tour Wander around museums, take in great gigs in unusual venues and discover unknown sides of the city by night: the Museum Night, which has been organised by the Stadtrevue Verlag for the past 20 years, is a firm fixture on Cologne’s culture calendar. During the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers came up with an impressive COVID-compliant alternative: instead of a large-scale event, on every first Thursday in the month small groups now flit from one art space to the next on foot or by bike or rickshaw. Each of the four or five guided tours has a different theme and are not only COVID-compliant but also exclusive: artists or curators often join them, giving participants the chance to discuss their work in a more intimate setting.

Every first Thursday in the month, museumsnacht-koeln.de

film and tv

art and design

Film Festival Cologne

Illustrator Festival

Cologne has a solid international reputation as a TV production hub but can also hold its own on the silver screen. And the Film Festival Cologne brings the best of these worlds together. Movie fans can look forward to premieres by filmmakers like Kelly Reichardt and an impressive line-up of documentary films, while TV fans get to watch series on the big screen rather than on the sofa at home – many episodes of which won’t be available to stream until months later. And film buffs and TV addicts alike will enjoy the Artist Talks featuring international stars like Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen and German director Dominik Graf, who effortlessly transcends the line between TV and cinema like no other.

From freehand illustration to advertising, editorials, animation, comics and children’s books – the Illustrator Festival gives an extensive overview of the exciting scene in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Since being launched in 2012, the biennial festival has been providing new inspiration from the varied scene, curating the most diverse exhibits and giving insights into the profession and working methods. As well as the exhibition, the organisers put on an exciting programme of events packed to the brim with talks, guided tours, workshops, discussions and presentations by individual artists. Lovingly created editions, signed books, postcards and posters are on sale in the festival shop. So it’s definitely worth getting there early and picking up a couple of mementoes to take home with you.

Autumn, filmfestival.cologne

May, illustratoren-festival.de

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Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

A day in the life of …

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… Rebekka Endler If I’m off work, I like to start the day with coffee and a croissant at Kitchenette on Gladbacher Strasse. I worked there for eight years and whenever I go back it feels as cosy and familiar as putting on a favourite old woolly jumper. The coffee and salads there are delicious – and the boss also happens to have great taste in music. Kitchenette attracts a nice mix of friendly people, the kind of place where you can find musicians having lunch before their evening performances at Stadtgarten.

I often bring my own Tupperware container and order a small salad or quiche to go, before cycling towards the banks of the Rhine and then heading upstream towards Rodenkirchen. Just before it, I turn right into the Forstbotanischer Garten, a woodland botanical garden. I grew up nearby and used to cut through here on my way to school. The best time to come is in spring when everything is in full bloom. In my teenage years I would often sit in the field under an old weeping willow and write poetry. Because where better to wallow in Weltschmerz than under a weeping willow? These days I prefer to feed the tame squirrels and admire the greenery around me. I never really used to be into plants, but that all changed after spending so much time in parks during lockdown. In the Forstbotanischer Garten there is a huge variety of trees and plants that are not only lovely to look at but are also home to many different types of insects. And because there’s hardly anyone here during the week, it’s a great place to read a book in peace and quiet.

Returning to the city centre, I cycle along the right bank of the Rhine and take the ferry from Weiss to Zündorf. The beer

garden on the Groov, a former island, is the ideal spot for a short break. Then I cycle north along the riverbank and across the Hohenzollernbrücke bridge back over to the left-hand side.

Via Mediapark and the Herkulesberg hill, I pedal back to Ehrenfeld to visit my friend Diane in her lingerie store Le Pop. Diane is one of my oldest and best friends – I’ve known her for almost 20 years now. When she came to Germany, I was one of the first people she got to know. And Diane is one of the few people I can speak French to: French is my second mother tongue, although I don’t get to speak it very often. But it’s like a secret weapon in Diane’s business – in my experience, it’s a lot easier to sell sex toys and lingerie if you have a French accent, especially when it’s the real thing!

If I want to do a spot of shopping, I will head over to Polyestershock on Geisselstrasse, where owner Anna provides a great service: she can alter the vintage clothing to fit you perfectly – at no extra charge. I’m always asking her to shorten trousers for me! Shopping tires me out and makes me work up an appetite. At Saudade, a Portuguese restaurant on Wahlenstrasse, the dishes are all homemade and the owners import delicious organic wines.

My perfect day in Cologne would end at the mini golf course behind the mosque. The owner – a sincere guy with a certain gruff charm about him – is a real character. From what he tells me, he’s had a bit of a chequered past, but the mini golf course is his life now. And it also happens to be one of the best places in Ehrenfeld to watch the sun go down.

Where better to wallow in Weltschmerz than under a weeping willow?

Rebekka Endler works as a freelance journalist for audio and print media in Cologne. She is the author of “Das Patriarchat der Dinge” (The Patriarchy of Things).

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Photo: © Ford

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Cologne’s biggest employers are flying the flag for LGBTIQ and diversity to increase their appeal to new recruits Text Christian Werthschulte

Celebrating 25 years of LGBTQ-friendliness: Ford’s headquarters in the north of Cologne

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At supermarket chain Rewe, it all began with an e-mail in BCC – sent by Frank Bartels after Cologne’s Christopher Street Day in 2013. A Rewe supermarket in Cologne had its own float in the LGBT parade through the city. “After that I received a few messages asking why we, as the parent company, didn’t have our own float,” says Bartels, who works in travel and event management at the Rewe Group. “So I sent out an e-mail to around ten colleagues I knew were gay.” A few weeks later, 25 people met up at a café near Eigelstein in the north of the city.

These were the beginnings of Different Together (di.to.), Rewe’s network for gay and lesbian employees.

Many major companies in Cologne now have networks like di.to, usually part of a diversity concept that includes sexual diversity. The aim behind this is to support LGBTIQ* employees in their everyday working lives, to advise them in matters like coming out and – of course – to organise participation in the CSD parade.

The importance of this should not be underestimated. Together with his team, Cologne psychologist Dominic Frohn regularly examines the working conditions of LGBT* employees. They all report personal experiences of discrimination, some of which even occur in the workplace. And according to Frohn’s study “Out in the Office”, there hasn’t been much too progress over the years. But one thing that has changed is how openly the employees deal with their sexuality. Of the employees surveyed, 30.6 percent of gay and lesbian respondents hadn’t “come out” at work, compared with 55.5 percent of bisexual and as many as 70 percent of trans* respondents.

Changing this is first and foremost the responsibility of the company itself, Frohn’s study finds: “The friendlier LGBT* people perceive a corporate culture to be, the more open they will be about their sexual or gender identity.” And this, in turn, has a direct impact on their work.

Employees who are open about their sexual identity suffer less from psychosomatic disorders and don’t have to waste energy on keeping their identity a secret. Frohn even claims that it makes them more productive. And they will also be more satisfied with their work and feel a stronger connection with their company than those who are unable to speak openly about their sexuality. “I have always been out in my office,” says Rewe’s Frank Bartels, “but I had never felt the need to officially network with others in the company”. But on noticing at the first meeting that many of his homosexual colleagues were not able to be as open as him in the workplace, he recognised the need for a network. “And after we set one up, a number of colleagues also came out to their fellow team members.”

This whole process started even earlier at Ford. The employee network “Gay Lesbian Or Bisexual Employees” (GLOBE) has existed in Cologne for 25 years now.

“GLOBE is one of our biggest employee networks,” says Ford spokesperson Ute Mundolf. Every network at Ford has what is known as a sponsor; in the case of GLOBE it is the European Board for Human Resources. “All sponsors are quite high up in the hierarchy,” says Mundolf.

“This means that matters can easily be discussed through the official channels.”

Mundorf emphasises that these networks are helping Ford to benefit directly from

LGBTQ* employees ho an o n a o t their identity a mo o ti at o

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

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It all started with an e-mail: Supermarket chain Rewe proudly flies the rainbow flag

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the expertise of its workforce. “Insight from the networks is extremely important to us,” she says. Long before Germany introduced its General Equal Treatment Act, the company decided also to cover the relocation costs for transfers abroad in the case of same-sex partners, even if in the eyes of the law they technically didn’t have the same rights as a spouse.

As an international company, Ford is also represented in countries in which legislation discriminates more against LGBTIQ people than is the case in Germany. “We need to abide by the laws in force in those countries,” says Ute Mundolf.

“But that doesn’t change anything about the high regard we have for our LGBT employees within the company itself.” The Rewe corporation is even active in Poland and Hungary, both countries which are now facing the threat of EU sanctions because of their anti-LGBT laws. But the Cologne headquarters are staying tightlipped about the subject. “We haven’t had any requests from either country,” says Frank Bartels.

In Germany, however, the di.to. network has already shown positive results.

“The mere fact that we exist has made the Rewe Group move with the times,” says Bartels. Before that, many colleagues would even avoid saying the word “gay”: “But fortunately that has changed,” he says. di.to. is meanwhile active in all six regions of Rewe Germany, with two

spokespersons in each of them. But new questions keep cropping up all the time: about a third gender, gender-neutral language, trans* identity and so on. “I’m still learning too,” says Bartels. Ford has transgender employees and insurance giant AXA even tells a gender reassignment story on its company website: about Leonora Friese, who outed herself as a woman after working at the company for 24 years.

“It was all very low key,” says AXA spokesperson Christiane Pabelick. “Leonora has been extremely open about the whole thing since she started her transition, and this has been met with a very positive response.”

AXA actively recruits staff with its diversity strategy, is represented at the LGBT career trade fair Sticks & Stones and, like Rewe, is also a supporter of the Prout at Work initiative. “In the applications we receive, applicants tell us that our commitment is getting noticed,” says Christiane Pabelick. Ute Mundolf also says that Ford’s image as an LGBT-friendly company is met with positive interest among potential employees. And at the Rewe Group, di.to. has even started the ball rolling with a marketing activity: “In 2015, in the middle of the refugee crisis, we handed out the first rainbow stickers in 3,300 supermarkets,” says Frank Bartels. And many of Rewe’s branches now also fly the rainbow flag during Pride Week.

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Eating out in Cologne:

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Breakfast and brunch

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Casual. The last time we were here, we could have been forgiven for thinking we were in Paris. But today, following extensive renovations, this café feels more like a chic, meticulously designed hotel lobby in Düsseldorf, complete with lounge vibes. The small but appetising breakfast menu includes all the usual suspects, from bircher muesli to croissants and jam. We decide on the vegan option with crudités and three types of homemade spread.

The hummus is lovely and creamy, with a slight hint of garlic, while the beetroot-horseradish dip is fresh with a pleasant kick. The tomato spread is wonderfully tart and makes the ideal topping for the square-shaped seeded crusty bread rolls. And the latte and refreshing rhubarb juice spritzer manage to hit the spot too! Valeria Scalerandi

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Brüsseler Str. 29, vevi.cafe-eatbu.com, outdoor seating

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Hanimeli Turkish. We can barely contain our foodie excitement as we enter and find ourselves standing right in the middle of the buffet. Freshly baked, golden-yellow Turkish bread specialities are piled high. And there’s also a great choice of desserts made with semolina and coconut. Salads, dips, roasted vegetables and various egg dishes cover the entire counter. We try a bit of everything – the slightly sweet fried bread with a little honey, spicy couscous, green and black olives and scrambled eggs with sucuk sausage and menemen, a popular Turkish omelette-like dish with scrambled eggs and tomato. The small, vibrant restaurant, where owner Elif Tatli and her team cook up a storm to prepare everything fresh in advance, starts filling up. Our recommendation: get here early to avoid disappointment! Valeria Scalerandi

Tobias Pastoors

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Kalker Hauptstr. 210, schlechtrimen.de, outdoor seating

Café Walter Regional. “Wo ist Walter?” is the German version of “Where’s Wally?” and we managed to find him here at Café Walter, amid south Cologne’s countless pubs and cafés. With “Where’s Wally?” books on the windowsill, Edison lamps and hanging plants, Café Walter could be a Pinterest pin, albeit a more cluttered, appealing and appetising one. The Walter breakfast (served until 5:00 pm!) is testament to the kitchen’s eye for detail: the tower of cooked ham, cheese, salads, a perfect fried egg and cress on toasted rustic bread is fresh and tasty, with each of the individual components coming together to form the perfect combo. After sipping a perfect latte made with beans from the Holm roastery in Frechen, it’s official: this little café has won our hearts forever! Valeria Scalerandi

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Traditional. Bakery at the front, living room at the back – or at least that’s what the solid wall unit displaying books, candlestick holders and glasses would have you believe. Upon entering, all eyes automatically turn to the lavish breakfast buffet, which has everything from honey and jam to smoked fish and scoops of ground pork. This is good old-fashioned German breakfast at its best – and even includes orange juice you can squeeze yourself. The variety of bread on offer is impressive. In this traditional Kalk institution, they really pull out all the stops when it comes to traditional baking. The grain-free dark bread is a huge hit with us – as is the waitress, who, despite the stress, always manages to keep a smile on her face. Having eaten our fill, we linger for a while longer to finish our coffees. Valeria Scalerandi

Vevi Vegan. Anyone strolling along Brüsseler Strasse would find it hard to pass by this lovingly designed terrace with its wooden seating and tables, plants and colourful fabric garlands. And we are no exception, spontaneously deciding to take a seat and order cappuccinos with almond milk. The small café fills up quickly and there are no tables free outside either. But the owner has everything under control and even finds the time for a chat at the coffee machine. The lavender and lemon cake is soft and delicious and the Hubertus Sandini, a crusty warm spelt bread roll topped with homemade hummus, walnuts and tasty basil tofu makes a great afternoon snack. Everything here tastes so good that non-vegans won’t even notice the lack of meat and dairy!

ISSN 1867-910

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FRISCH GETESTET ALLE VEEDEL, ALLE KÜCHEN! 1867-9102 ISSN

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tagnacht – the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

Lindenstr. 10, cafefleur.de, outdoor seating

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From no-go area to beer garden: Over the past three years, art, gastronomy and a bubbling fountain have turned Ebertplatz into one of the most popular squares in Cologne Text Anne Meyer, Christian Werthschulte Photography Thomas Schäkel

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Open-air cinema in the summer, ice skating rink in the winter, art along the escalators: once an area best avoided, Ebertplatz – located halfway between Agnesviertel and Eigelstein – has emerged in recent years as a flagship project for future urban development. Policymakers have now decided to green-light an elaborate plan for remodelling the square in the northern city centre and to decide on how it is to be used.

Since 2009, the masterplan for Cologne has involved raising Ebertplatz to ground level. However, officials are now looking at whether the striking underground concrete passage can also be retained – even though many people attribute the deterioration of the square to its Brutalist architecture.

Unveiled in 1977 as part of the ‘car-friendly city’ concept, the square was already falling into disrepair by the late 1990s and the city did next to nothing to stop the rot. It was only in autumn 2017, when a young man died in altercations between drug dealers, that a spotlight was shone on Ebertplatz again – revealing it as a ‘no-go area’ and an ‘eyesore’.

However, the square has gone from strength to strength ever since artists and gallery owners began to rent the vacant retail spaces in the mid-noughties. This marked the beginning of the ‘interim use concept’, with concerts being held, art installations displayed on the defective escalators and a shipping container serving up drinks and snacks on the square itself.

But the most important move of all was having the fountain repaired. Now that water is flowing from the ‘water kinetic sculpture’ in the centre of the square again, Ebertplatz has become a popular meeting place, which attracts visitors from all over the city.

However, local people really needed to pull out all the stops to ensure that music, dancing and a café were returned to Ebertplatz. Various working groups focusing on greenery, participation and other issues came together under the banner ‘Unser Ebertplatz’ (Our Ebertplatz). This

includes the art spaces in the underground passageway and the Alte Feuerwache community centre, which offers a wide range of activities for children and young people. The Cultural department sponsors music, art and literature, while representatives from social agencies, policymakers and the police come together in the Social working group.

The Labor gallery (which means laboratory, not labour!) has been located in the Ebertplatz passage since 2005. One of its exhibitions – ‘Nutzen und Putzen’ (Use & Clean) – presents various plans for the remodelling, including a ‘green archipelago’, a market hall in the middle of the square and a concept for using the passage as an art gallery. “After ten or fifteen years, you can’t call it ‘interim usage’ anymore – it’s usage, plain and simple,” says Meryem Erkus, whose Gold + Beton art gallery has been based there since 2013. The artists were always adamant about retaining the space – not only as a city-centre location for non-commercial art but also as a means of preserving Brutalist concrete architecture. They feel that the square has a truly unique quality and that its problems cannot be resolved by remodelling it, but only through social work.

“Needless to say, the square can’t stay the way it is – the disadvantages are plain to see,” says local architect Thomas Knüvener, who organised a series of discussions about Ebertplatz. He stresses that everyone was largely in agreement on one point: “the need to keep the current, two-level square and further develop its potential.” These days, simply tearing down a massive, intact concrete construction is a non-starter for environmental reasons. The ground-level variant now appears outdated for various reasons. With Ebertplatz, Cologne has the chance to create a unique landmark – a kind of three-dimensional square with an ‘underground’ building. As Thomas Knüvener points out: “It could be an ideal place for the local art scene to flourish”.

Ebertplatz has become a popular meeting place for the whole city

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, one of Janning Trumann t figures the most importan g jazz on Cologne’s youn bone scene, plays the trom er d oth and does a thousan things besides Text Felix Klopotek

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p u s g thin “I’m a trombonist. The instrument is incredibly important to me. Whenever I am composing, I’m always aware that it has to feel good when you’re playing it”, says Janning Trumann, delivering the kind of killer quote that event organisers love to print in their programme booklets.

Pithy soundbites aside, that was actually Trumann’s explanation of how he sees his role. He is a jazz composer and bandleader and, over the past five years, has put together an impressive series of productions and ensembles. The high point of his career so far was when he and his octet were filmed playing in the Kölner Philharmonie (Cologne Philharmonic Hall) at the end of December 2020.

Even though lockdown measures meant that they were playing to an eerily empty concert hall, they still managed to turn the performance into an almost spiritual experience (which can be seen on philharmonie.tv). Trumann’s suite sounded warm yet haunting, rising up with solemn dignity to give the musicians plenty of room for improvisational flights of fancy.

And then there was Trumann himself on trombone – deep in concentration, yet earthy to the core.

Trumann is also a label producer (Tangible Music), sits on the board of the Kölner Jazz Haus initiative, is active on behalf of the Kölner Jazzkonferenz (the political association for the local jazz scene) – and even represents political party CDU on the city council’s culture committee. His father and brothers are farmers so he helped out with their harvest for years. Oh yes, and he’s a semi-professional triathlete as well. He is

30 years old, speaks a mile a minute and, if he keeps up his current work rate, could well retire in five years’ time – were it not for the threat of boredom. “I know”, he sighs, “people keep telling me that I can’t sit still for five minutes”. If you ask him about his artistic mission and credo, he will tell you that he is a trombonist first and foremost. The musicians that work on his projects cover a very wide spectrum. While he sometimes enlists famous names like pianist Simon Nabatov or legendary drummer Joachim Rueckert, there are times when he plays in a pianoless quartet. And then there are his expansive compositions for large groups, such as the masterful “Rise Beyond” piece for sextet. But at the end of the day, it’s all about Trumann’s music. Ultimately rooted in the full tones of his trombone, it sounds anything but restless and hectic.

His music is a prime example of a kind of jazz that breaks with the traditional theme-improvisation-theme form, pushing together the composition elements like a telescope and letting them expand again coherently. That’s what makes it so fascinating: it is harmonically accessible yet unpredictable and refreshingly complex. “I really do see jazz as being part of high culture. And have no problem with it being academised. [Trumann studied in Cologne and New York]. Our society’s understanding of high culture is currently moving away from opera houses and symphony orchestras and becoming more open, more curious and more global – and jazz stands for this development.”

As one of the European jazz cities driving this movement, Cologne is right at the

On the trombone, Trumann is deep in concentration, yet earthy to the core

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janningtrumann.com, tangible-music.net, jazzweek.de

A boy and his toy: Janning Trumann and his instrument of choice, the trombone

The Cologne jazz scene is conscious of style, but not dogmatic

heart of it. “With established venues like Stadtgarten and Loft, and jazz having been taught at the University of Cologne for decades, Cologne has an amazing steadfastness that Berlin just doesn’t have. We can’t compete with the sheer number of musicians in Berlin, but those guys are envious of our infrastructure here. Quite a few musicians are moving to Cologne right now,” says Trumann.

The Cologne jazz scene is pretty much typical of the Rhineland region: modern, style-conscious, tradition-conscious, but neither iconoclastic nor rigidly dogmatic.

“Allowing for improvisation within a structure and then giving that structure room to breathe – both of those things inspire one another,” says Trumann, outlining the methods that have also been adopted by many of his colleagues. The scene welcomes new musicians with tolerance, curiosity and the offer of a helping hand: anyone who comes up with new band concepts is sure to find like-minded musicians very quickly. There is only one constant: the boundless enthusiasm for the Miles Davis Quintet of the late 1950s and 1960s. “The Cologne scene is obsessed with that stuff!”, he laughs.

One key component missing in this development so far is that the city has no major jazz festival of its own. As Trumann admits: “You could probably say that the whole year is one big festival in Cologne, given the number of concerts taking place here. The Jazzkonferenz team came to the conclusion that it was madness for the huge Cologne scene to provide the music for pretty much all the festivals in our region but not being able to present itself on its home turf with all niches together in one package!” By 2019, we had managed to convince the city to give us €150,000 to help finance a Cologne Jazz Week for autumn 2021. This is how Trumann ended up with his next job: as the festival’s artistic director. “We want the festival to be people-friendly – an open invitation to everyone to come and get acquainted with today’s jazz.” The aim is to allow the Cologne scene to go head-tohead with international acts, to spotlight collaborations and allow people to connect. There is little doubt that the jazz musicians of Cologne will be able to rise to this challenge. And who knows – maybe they can work a little on their Miles Davis obsession while they’re at it?

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Super Jazz Köln Style Die Cologne Jazzweek feiert die Stadt

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Cologne Jazzweek

EBERTPLATZ Die neue Liebe zum Beton

Junge Jazzer mischen die Stadt auf

Jazz am Rhein Wo Köln Weltstadt ist

Rebellion in Nippes Grüne gehen

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Ava Mendoza Blues für Klangextremisten

Die Cologne Jazzweek feiert die Musikszene der Stadt

Style

Faschisten Antifa am Controller in Erftstadt Keinen Pixel den themenzeile=shft4 Drama gefettet=cmd4 Hochwasser Colognepride Out im Job? Köln kann nicht anders Die Kienitz-Affäre

Stadtrevue is Cologne’s very own city magazine. On 150 pages, it brings you the lowdown on culture, politics and life in the city every month. With countless tips about places to go and things to do, along with the region’s most extensive event calendar, it is your ultimate guide to the urban jungle.

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Japanese paulownias and West African dwarf goats A summer stroll exploring Cologne’s natural diversity: from the Forest Laboratory to Lindenthal Animal Park Text Bernd Wilberg | Photography Jennifer Rumbach

For those who really care about wildlife and the environment, this twohour tour is full of highs (and the occasional low). We set off at the Waldlabor – Forest Laboratory – in Marsdorf, which is not a research building but rather a kind of open-air tree museum with a circular 1.2 km route passing by indigenous trees and species from other continents that were planted ten years prior. It is the brainchild of Michael Hundt, the municipal forester responsible for the entire Cologne area on the left-hand side of the Rhine.

The trail through the Waldlabor begins with the Wandelwald, the “changing forest”. Here, visitors will encounter eight types of tree, firstly in separate sections

and then intermixed with the next species: grand firs, Douglas firs, silver birch, wild cherry, wild service tree and field maple. While there are information panels along the route, your best bet is to take a field guide book with you so you can identify everything from the grey heron on the meadow and the snail on the edge of the footpath to the red and black moth known as the six-spot burnet. Some trees in the Waldlabor come from other parts of the world. Next up is the Klimawald – Climate Forest – an area for testing tree species that cope better with the hot summers than the native pine, spruce, beech or sycamore which, stressed by heat and drought, fall prey to fungi, insects and other parasites. With

Cologne has its own open-air tree museum

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birdsong in our ears, we can see mainly whitebeam, walnut, downy oak and paulownias. The Japanese paulownia tree is small but spectacular, with heart-shaped leaves and, when in season, pink and violet blossoms and egg-shaped capsule fruits. As Forester Hundt puts it: “It’s versatile enough to have been able to prevail here against all odds.” Having lost other trees to climate-related factors, he can envisage planting more paulownias in the Cologne forest to restore stability: “A healthy mixture is the best way to protect the forest from dying out”. While monocultures are susceptible to hot summers, the kind of mixture found in Cologne’s forests is well equipped to withstand them.

Rather than turning into the Wildniswald – Wild Forest – our walk finishes up in an oat field. Here, we leave the

Waldlabor and, a few metres further, take a left and then a right into the Mischwald – Mixed Forest – planted around sixty years earlier based on the local diversification specifications known as the Kölner Mischung. “There are around 30 types of tree here. Or at least there were until the beetles got to the conifer groups,” Hundt tells us. This section of the forest looks wilder and more authentic than the Klimawald. The trees are higher and the area is darker, kept cool under a green canopy of leaves.

We take a left at the turn-off. This area here is every bit as varied as in the Waldlabor: as well as the rare black walnut, there are storm-felled trees and a few isolated trees that were cut down because they were in danger of falling. As Hundt explains, this was not a popular decision but ultimately he was duty-bound by law to maintain public safety. After half a kilometre or so, we cross Bachemer Landstrasse and continue along the path until it joins another one on a broad turn to the right. Here, we take a left and cross the number 7 tram line.

Everything is different here – this expansive, gentle landscape is where the first Colognians lived almost 7,000 years ago, scratching zigzag patterns on their earthenware, which is now seen by historians as part of the Linear Pottery culture.

There were a total of five settlements, the discovery of which was one of the defining moments of European Neolithic research. Of all this, only a boulder remains today. There are large groups of trees planted in the 1960s – an arboretum with many rare species, including ones from further afield.

We take a right eastwards along the tram line. What looks like a dried-up riverbed is actually a recently renatured course of a local stream known as the Frechener Bach. However, it only carries water in times of heavy rain, the source having long since run dry. We follow the path that begins by winding left. The range of

WW

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o e köln

species here goes well beyond the 20 labelled trees and shrubs in the arboretum and includes the bladdernut. Time to get that field guide back out of your rucksack – although it would have to be very thick to include such a rarity!

On the right hand side, you will spot a black alder on its own in an open field. We then venture through a small section of woodland and, after taking a right, cross Dürener Strasse and continue on ahead.

The route runs parallel to Militärringstrasse. Once we reach Marcel-ProustPromenade, we cross over, passing a solitary but healthy horse chestnut tree on our right. Behind it, however, are trees that are already shedding green branches. Our route veers to the left and then we take a sharp right after 150 metres. And

300 metres after this we reach our destination: the west entrance to the Lindenthaler Tierpark (Lindenthal Animal Park).

The park is said to be home to some 250 animals, such as the cute West African dwarf goat and a rather bedraggled Soay sheep which, as it is currently shedding wool, is at least spared the constant click of visitors’ camera phones. And, needless to say, donkeys, fallow deer, goats and sheep. Even though it’s unlikely that any visitors come here to see poultry, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the Brahma hens, which look like they’re wearing 70s-style flared trousers. From here, you can take the number 7 tram back to the Waldlabor near the Stüttgenhof station – unless, of course, you want to carry on exploring on your own...

Cologne’s mixed forest consists of 30 types of trees

L‘AMOUR DE LOIN DIE LIEBE AUS DER FERNE Kaija Saariaho Kölner Erstaufführung 24. Oktober 2021 WWW.OPER.KOELN | KARTEN UNTER: 0221. 221 28 400 hc_Waldspaziergang.indd o e köln hidden 21.indd 127

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

A day in the life of …

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… Jojo Berger I grew up in Bonn but have been living in the Südstadt (the south of Cologne) since 2006. Out of our 13 band members, ten of us live in Cologne – five of us even on the same street! Even though it’s not exactly a small city, there’s a very local feel where everything seems to happen right outside your window – or at least that’s the case where I live. Maybe because the Südstadt is the best neighbourhood of them all! There’s a great mix of people living here: as well as the old folks sitting gossiping outside cafés, you have students, young families, artists and the former squatters who helped to build this district so you can’t help but feel like you’re in the middle of it all.

While other bands sing about the more buttoned-down aspects of Cologne, we like to shake things up by saying that it’s the rough edges that really make Cologne what it is. Barbarossaplatz, which has featured in one of our songs, is a part of the city that I see as being extremely genuine. Unlike the ring road, the Cathedral and the Old Town, which aren’t the real Cologne if you ask me.

There’s nothing I love more than walking through the city streets. It’s also where I get the inspiration for our lyrics.

Even though you might be able to get there a few minutes faster by car or tram, walking leads you to bump into people unexpectedly, or to discover new places or rediscover old ones. My favourite walk is the Brückenrunde – the bridge route – which takes in some or all of the city’s bridges: the Südbrücke, Hohenzollernbrücke, Severinsbrücke and even as far as the Rodenkirchener Brücke and back over to the other side of the Rhine.

For me, the perfect night out involves picking up a bottle of Kölsch beer from a kiosk and heading off for a stroll. Then

we’d grab a pizza at Caminetto on Eifelplatz and sit on the little wall in the Volksgarten park to eat it. There’s also a fantastic new beer garden at Lotta – a no-nonsense, politically sound bar on Kartäuserwall and one of the driving forces behind the “No Kölsch for Nazis” movement. Schnörres and Das Scheue Reh are also great bars, but they have more of a hipster vibe going on. Sometimes we sit on the kerb near Schnörres and chat: on long, balmy summer evenings when the streets are full, there’s a real Mediterranean feel to it. There are cool indie parties next door at Tsunami, where my favourite DJ works his magic on the decks. I don’t know him personally but his name is every bit as sensational as his music: Drunk Walter Steinmeier. Good alternatives are Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld and YUCA. The owners aren’t afraid to mix things up sometimes, which doesn’t happen all that often on the club scene. They have such impeccable taste that you know you can go to any concert there, even if you haven’t heard of the band that’s playing. Sadly, a handful of superb locations have had to close for good, which has left quite a hole in Cologne.

In my opinion, the most authentic espresso bar in the city is Formula Uno on Zugweg. I love those moments when you’re sitting outside a café, watching the hustle and bustle of the world go by. Odeon on Severinstrasse is a great cinema that also shows arthouse and independent films. I’m also a huge fan of the Kunst gegen Bares (Art for Cash) series at the Artheater club in Ehrenfeld, where talented young artists battle it out, the audience can bet any sum they like on their favourite and the winner goes home with a pot of money. A brilliantly creative idea to support artists.

It’s the rough edges that make Cologne what it is

Jojo Berger is the singer in Cologne band Querbeat, whose new album Radikal Positiv was released this summer.

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Cologne for Future

The importance of climate and environmental protection has been growing in Cologne of late, largely thanks to the city’s urban community Text Jan Lüke

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In 2019, Cologne’s city council declared a “climate emergency”, meaning that the need to combat climate change was to be considered a top priority in all political decisions. In the same year, the city set up a “climate council” with representatives from the business and science communities. At the 2020 local elections, the Klimafreunde (Climate Friends) were elected to the city council and since then the electoral group has been represented by activists from the For Future movement. A climate department was set up in the city administration in 2021. And in the city council, in which the Greens are now the strongest force, there is majority support for plans to make Cologne climateneutral by 2035.

The growing significance of climate protection – not something that has ever been prioritised in Cologne’s political and administrative circles – is largely thanks to the numerous initiatives and companies that have been working for years to protect our climate, nature and environment. As well as piling pressure on the decision-makers, they have come up with a constant stream of new ideas for local climate protection. These have been taken on board by the city administration and affect various aspects of local life such as mobility, greening, waste avoidance and food supplies.

The sustainability trend is making itself felt in many parts of the city. These days, zero-waste stores are sprouting up everywhere: with no fewer than ten examples, Cologne is Germany’s zero-waste capital! As well as the popular Tante Olga shops owned by zero-waste pioneer Olga Witt in Nippes (Viersener Str. 6, 50733 Cologne) and Sülz (Berrenrather Str. 406, 50937 Cologne), there is now also a ze-

ro-waste shop on the other side of the Rhine (U wie unverpackt, Wallstr. 81, 50969 Cologne) and a zero-waste drugstore in the Belgian Quarter (Naturgerie, Lindenstr. 54, 50674 Cologne). Colognebased zero-waste activists are channelling their joint energy into Zero Waste, an association that has also caught the attention of policymakers: the city administration is currently examining how Cologne could become the first ever German “zero-waste city”.

Elsewhere, other innovative ideas by private individuals and organisations have been integrated into the city’s strategy. In 2015, the Cologne Food Policy Council (Ernährungsrat Köln) was set up with a view to drawing up a holistic nutrition strategy for Cologne. Its highest-profile member is Cologne film-maker Valentin Thurn and its most widely embraced idea is the “Edible City” (Essbare Stadt), which grows food for local people and animals in the heart of the city. These include “Edible Spaces” in the various districts, which can already be found in several prominent locations: you will find figs growing on the edge of Brüsseler Platz in the Belgian Quarter and apple trees on Rathenauplatz, another vibrant square in the city centre. Over the next few years, other food crops are to be planted at central locations and in public green spaces in Cologne. As well as providing food, the Edible City allows people to experience nature at first hand, to learn about the environment and to work together as a community. The aim is to help the people of Cologne identify with food and where it comes from. Although sceptical to begin with, the city is now putting its weight behind the project – as befits its new, climate-friendly outlook.

The growing significance of climate protection is thanks to all the initiatives

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Zero waste on the other side of the Rhine: U wie Unverpackt

K.R.A.K.E. K.R.A.K.E., which spells out the German word for octopus, actually stands for Kölner Rhein-Aufräum-Kommando-Einheit (Cologne Rhine Clean-Up Commando Unit). Founded in 2016 by actor Christian Stock, the association aims to free Cologne, and the banks of the Rhine in particular, from unsightly and harmful litter. Every day, around a tonne of rubbish floats up the Rhine in the direction of the North Sea, much of it getting caught up on the banks of the river. Several times a month, K.R.A.K.E. drums up an army of voluntary helpers and turns the act of rubbish collecting into an event. The best-known waste collection initiative that K.R.A.K.E. is involved in is the annual RhineCleanUp operation: for one whole day, teams work to remove all the plastic, packaging and other debris scattered along the banks of the Rhine. Having long since extended its tentacles to new challenges, K.R.A.K.E. is now organising more and more clean-ups in Cologne’s neighbourhoods and parks. The association also wants to have a floating waste collector built in the Rhine that fishes the rubbish out of the water. krake.koeln

The Good Food By shopping at The Good Food, you’ll be doing your bit to save the planet. In this Ehrenfeld store (Venloer Str. 414, 50825 Cologne), Nicole Klaski and her team sell groceries that don’t make the shelves of the conventional supermarkets: food items that are past their best-before date, day-old baked goods or

fresh fruit and vegetables that are usually too small or misshapen to be sold. The Good Food calls it “love at second glance”. Most of the goods on offer are sold at cost price – customers pay as much as they can or what they feel the items are worth. Groceries from The Good Food are now also available at another two locations: the Casablanca kiosk in Sülz (Sülzburgstr. 164, 50937 Cologne) and clothing store IGLU in the Agnesviertel neighbourhood (Schillingstr. 11, 50670 Cologne). the-good-food.de

Wanderbaumallee (Wandering Trees) With wide roads, extensive parking and densely built-up areas, much of Cologne’s city centre feels far removed from nature. It’s difficult for many local people to imagine just how important trees can be in a city, but Wanderbaumallee aims to change all that.

The initiative has planted almost 30 trees – not at fixed locations, but in self-built modules on wheels. Each module consists of a tree with a bench around it. Wanderbaumallee rolls out the mobile trees onto parking spaces in different parts of the city. The message they are trying to convey is that, instead of a parked car, a city tree could be providing shade, improving the climate and offering a place for locals to sit and chat. Under wanderbaumallee-koeln.de, you can find out where the wandering trees are currently located.

And while you’re sitting under them, it’s very easy to imagine a Cologne full of trees. wanderbaumallee-koeln.de

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Neuland

KOLUMB A

Cities and agriculture don’t need to be mutually exclusive. This is clearly demonstrated by Cologne’s highest-profile urban gardening project, Neuland, which is located on the grounds of the former Dom Kölsch brewery in Bayenthal (Koblenzer Str. 73, 50968 Cologne).

When plans to construct a technical college on the grounds fell through more than ten years ago, nearby residents were quick to reclaim the abandoned site and turn it into a community garden where strawberries, kale and lettuce are now grown in self-made raised beds and greenhouses. And even if you don’t have green fingers yourself, you can still pay Neuland a visit. The association that oversees the project regularly organises open-air film evenings and readings and holds occasional workshops. neuland-koeln.de

Critical Mass Critical Mass is often referred to as an “organised coincidence”. On the last Friday evening of the month, the city’s most popular bike tour weaves its way through the roads of Cologne at a moderate pace, attracting as many as 1,000 participants in the summer months.

Critical Mass advocates safer, more environmentally friendly and people-friendly mobility in the city but is not a demo as such. Rather, it takes advantage of a clause in the road traffic regulations that states that groups with at least 15 cyclists constitute a closed group of vehicles so they can ride next to each other on the roads. The first cyclist in the ride sets the direction so every Critical Mass takes a different route. But the meeting place is always the same: under the Hahnentor city gate at Rudolfplatz at 5:30 pm – and once we have ‘ridden’ out the pandemic, it will definitely be back! critical-mass-cologne.de

Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne Kolumbastraße 4 | D-50667 Cologne The »living museum« makes no distinction between permanent collection and temporary exhibition. Instead, it utilizes the flowing quality of the architecture, working with possibilities afforded by the concurrence and juxtaposition that characterize Peter Zumthor’s building.

Wednesday to Monday 12 to 5 p.m. closed on Tuesdays | www.kolumba.de

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Eating out in Cologne:

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

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Kölns Gastro Guide 2021/2022

Nr. 34 12,80 €

tro Kölns Gastro

Nr. 33 12,80 €

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Organic. Here, on the vibrant, bustling Körnerstrasse in Cologne’s popular district of Ehrenfeld, all is still well with the world – thanks in no small part to this café and its high culinary standards and high-quality ingredients. Organic and regional food is simply part and parcel of their menu. Another endearing factor is that the strong Van Dyck latte is served in a bowl, French-style. Our waitress is patiently training up a new member of staff, who brings us a hearty (albeit rather small) portion of bircher muesli with fruit salad and a delicious-looking French toast topped with maple and fruit syrup and icing sugar, which makes it incredibly sweet – but this is balanced out perfectly by the crispy bacon and tart fruit salad. When its time for elevenses, make sure you check out the cakes in the display cabinet.

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Café Sehnsucht

Mediterranean. An industrial estate on the western outskirts of the city is the last place you’d expect to find a café. With its high walls and woodbeamed ceiling, it manages to retain the industrial charm of the old sand and gravel works. From a board on the wall, you can choose from a handful of mainly Mediterranean dishes of the day, such as pasta with pesto and chanterelle mushrooms or salad with feta and olives.

After a brief glance at the cake counter, we opt for the chocolate mousse cake, a cappuccino, a latte macchiato and the homemade iced tea with green tea, lime and elderflower. The cake is wonderfully fluffy, creamy and not too sweet.

Just like the iced tea, which – as the friendly waiter assures us – is made fresh by the litre every day. An unexpected but pleasant surprise is the audio book about Pablo Picasso playing in the toilets! Cosima Lorenz

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Café Nebenraum

Deutzer Freiheit 72–74, heimisch.cafe, outdoor seating

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Ritterstr. 52, cafehibiskus.de, outdoor seating

Brückenstr. 1–3, cafe-eigel.de, outdoor seating

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Valeria Scalerandi

Café Heimisch Regional. If you’re meeting up with a friend, this is the place to come.

Thanks to the noise from the passing cars, the terrace isn’t quite as idyllic as it looks. But once you see the excellent selection of options including their various Brettchen (boards) which range from sweet and savoury (with wild game!) to vegan, you’ll soon forget about the noisy traffic. For a much-needed caffeine boost, we order a latte made with beans from local Cologne roastery Van Dyck. We order the vegan Grünes Brett (Green Board), which comes with a generous helping of bread, rolls, salad and spreads – and could even pass as a lunch option thanks to the added extra of pan-fried vegetables. If you’re really hungry, you can also opt for the scrambled eggs with bacon or cheese, accompanied by the aforementioned veg as a healthy side. Valeria Scalerandi

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Artisanal. Downtown Cologne is home to the city’s best patisseries.

You’d be hard pushed to find such a high density anywhere else – or such high quality, for that matter. A prime example is this spacious café, where Mrs Eigel greets her customers personally with a cheerful smile.

Her husband Nikolaus – the fifth generation of his family to run the company – heads up a team consisting of 12 confectioners and pâtissiers, who make around 40 different types of products every day, including homemade ice cream. We take a seat on the comfy coffeehouse chairs in the atrium, under a ficus tree. The cherry cake – cherries on a biscuit-like base with decorative meringue around the edges – is tart and juicy and doesn’t go overboard on the jelly despite the mountain of cherries. And the latte is just the thing to get our engine running.

Vegan. Tarts, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, waffles – this variety of vegan desserts is unique for Cologne.

The glass display cabinet usually has six different types of cake or tart to choose from, ranging from vegan Black Forest gateau to Keesekuchen (vegan cheesecake) and raw chocolate tart, along with all the usual coffee options. The iced latte is made with vanilla soy milk as standard and can also be combined with a scoop of your favourite ice cream flavour. There are also savoury dishes such as the Wednesday special: their take on the German classic Mettbrötchen that is made with rice waffles and tomato purée rather than the usual ground pork with onion. When the weather is good, you can park yourself on a cushion on the window sill. And if all the seats are taken, everything is also available to go. Tobias Pastoors

ISSN 1867-910

Café Eigel

FRISCH GETESTET ALLE VEEDEL, ALLE KÜCHEN! 1867-9102 ISSN

Küchen el, alle

tagnacht – the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

Valeria Scalerandi

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Summer in the city The sunshine days of summer are finally here again! No more excuses: you’ve had a decent sleep, a lie-in and are only mildly hungover from the night before.

And there’s still enough daylight left for you to do much more than just plonk yourself on the sofa with a takeaway, staring at a screen of some description. Cologne offers plenty of options to partake in a bit of physical activity without people thinking you’re obsessed with self-improvement or have forgotten how to have fun. For instance, you can follow the stand-up paddling trend on the Fühlinger See lake, play table tennis in the shade of the TV Tower or enjoy a laidback round of mini golf with homemade cake in Rodenkirchen – usually without having to become a member or sign up for anything. So what are you waiting for? Get up, take a walk or hop on your bike and join in the fun! Kölsch, the local beer, tastes better after – or during – the twilight hours anyway ...

Text & photos: Alfred Jansen

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

A day in the life of …

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… Eva Himmighofen I try to fit as much in as I can when I’m not working. No two days are ever the same in Cologne and there are plenty of things to do in and around the city. My perfect day starts very early, either when it’s still dark or as the sun gradually begins to envelop Cologne in its warm embrace. Getting up early also means that I can hear the birds, which I love. Who would have thought that was possible amid the hustle and bustle of Ehrenfeld?

My perfect day? Always today!

But the ultimate day in Cologne would involve some or all of the following: after getting up early, I would go for a walk. If I decide to stay in my neighbourhood, I’ll pick up a delicious coffee from Café Rotkehlchen on Venloer Strasse and either stroll around the streets or head to a park.

I love being close to nature and you can often find me at the Leo-Amann-Park next to the Bürgerzentrum Ehrenfeld, or the Blücherpark. Basically, I love wandering around different areas and exploring everything from street art to all the unusual, historical elements of the city. There’s always something new to discover and when your perspective changes, you begin to see things in a new light. I either walk or cycle around the city as it gives me the opportunity to stop and take it all in. Cycling is a quick and easy way to see everything and makes Cologne feel like a village. I am a self-confessed coffee addict and have my favourite cafés along my route from Ehrenfeld to the city centre: Café Rotkehlchen in Ehrenfeld, Caveedel in the Belgian Quarter, GuteBohne on Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring, Hommage on Friesenstrasse and Espresso Perfetto near the Kolumba museum.

Once I’ve had my caffeine fix, I wander around town or go down to the Rhine. I

love being out and about and am always fascinated by the wealth of outdoor options Cologne has to offer. I like to sit by the water at the Blücherpark and the Grüngürtel (Cologne’s green belt) is great too. From the riverbanks, it’s fun to cycle north to the Sculpture Park, or Stammheim Castle on the other side of the water. The Sculpture Park never fails to impress and inspire me – and is always worth a visit.

Whenever I want to escape the hectic of the city streets, I set off early to go hiking. My favourite trail is the Rheinsteig, which you can easily reach by train and then take a boat back. You can look up route that is suitable for your level beforehand. Along the way you will find small villages, breathtaking views and amazing paths through the forest or along vineyards. If I don’t feel like hiking but still want to get out, I will go to a lake to have a stroll, do some activities or read a book and relax. The Fühlinger See, a local lake, is awesome for any kind of water activity. A day here goes by really quickly, but it wouldn’t be a typical Cologne experience without a healthy dose of fun, socialising and culture. I ike to meet up with friends, get a drink from a kiosk and head to a park. There are so many kiosks, you can spend an evening wandering from one to the next. We love to combine that with visits to old pubs and newer ones. In Ehrenfeld you have a fun mix of places. Kiosks are pretty much everywhere and in between you can just stop in one of the many cool bars like Hängende Gärten, Rubinrot, Em Höttche or Red Fox Bar, to name just a few.

Cologne never gets boring!

I’m fascinated by the wealth of outdoor options Cologne has to off

With her Alternative Cologne Tours, Eva Himmighofen, specialises in alternative guided city tours, especially of the local street art, and is a professional network marketer.

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The modern age of meditative calm A bicycle tour taking in post-war churches in the north of Cologne Text Christian Werthschulte | Photography Dörthe Boxberg

Social history is well documented in the north of Cologne. Not just at the Ford plant and former Clouth rubber factory but also in the local places of worship. After all, it is here, in the erstwhile proletarian stronghold of Nippes and Riehl, that you will find an impressive collection of modern churches. These buildings have borne witness to the major reforms and conflicts experienced above all by the Catholic Church in the 20th century.

Our bicycle tour begins in Mauenheim at the Philipp-Nicolai-Kirche – Kirche being the German word for church – a Protestant church built in 1965. As is the tendency with all modern churches, the interior of this two-storey brick cuboid is plain and simple. Right next to the building is one of the characteristic features of church architecture in the north of the city: a freestanding campanile or bell tower that was only added as recently as 1989. The Salvator-Kirche in Weidenpesch

North Cologne’s church architecture mirrors the reforms of 20th century Catholicism

(1958) also boasts an impressive bell tower. Its brick exterior and honeycomb windows reflect the architecture of the neighbouring church. Although straightforward in design, the nave of this church is vitalised by its blend of bricks and white plaster. It is at its best in the evening when the sun shines through the western honeycomb window, filling the church with diffuse light.

The unassuming design of most modern churches is founded in an idea popularised by the Liturgical Movement back in the days of the Weimar Republic in Cologne, which ultimately ushered in the major church reforms of the 20th century.

Rather than worshipping the saints on the altars and church windows, the focus was to be on the interaction between congregation and priest (and, in turn, God) – so the minimalist church architecture provided the perfect backdrop for this. This conflict is embodied by the Heilig-Kreuz-

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Between tradition and modernity: The Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche

Kirche in Weidenpesch, which was completed in 1931. While its floor plan and pillar structure have a strong Gothic influence, the walls and chancel are white and ornate.

Further north, in Longerich, we see the progress made in church construction in the space of 25 years. In 1956, this where the foundation was laid for the Convention of German Catholics settlement, where Catholic families with at least four children could move into a small house.

The cornerstone of this settlement is the parish church, Pfarrkirche St. Bernhard.

Not only is it named after Bernhard von Clairvaux, the father of the Cistercian Order, but his ascetic lifestyle is clearly reflected in the plain brick facework as well. Also well worth a visit is ChristKönig-Kirche in Longerich. Built by Fritz Schaller in 1951, it dovetails perfectly with the residential architecture in the northern part of the district.

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Crossing Neusser Strasse and Scheibenstrasse, we head for Niehl via Schlenderhaner Strasse and immediately catch sight of the detached grey stone tower of the Protestant Petrikirche church. Inaugurated in 1965, the church is modelled on a traditional basilica design. The monumental interior is made of the same dark stone and exudes a meditative calm. In the direct vicinity is the Fordsiedlung, a settlement built for Ford employees in the early 1950s. The accompanying Catholic church was named St. Christophorus after the patron saint of travellers.

It was built in 1959 by Rudolf Schwarz, whose 1930 design for the Fronleichnamskirche in Aachen is regarded as a pioneering work in modern church architecture. In Niehl, he opted for a cube-shaped building of concrete and brick. As envisioned by the Liturgical Movement, to which Schwarz belonged, there is no divide between the altar area and the

Bicycle tour Start: Mauenheim, Nibelungenstr. 62 Destination: Nippes, Corrensstr. 2 Length: 15 km, 3 hours

P Suggested

pit stops Rheinkult, Neusser Str. 515, Weidenpesch Rennbahn Biergarten, Scheibenstr. 40, Weidenpesch There are also plenty of places to eat around the Florastrasse tram stop

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Churches Philipp-Nicolai-Kirche Nibelungenstr. 62, Mauenheim Salvator Schlesischer Pl. 28, Weidenpesch

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Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche Floriansgasse 2, Weidenpesch St. Bernhard Hansenstr. 398, Longerich Christ König Altonaer Str. 65, Longerich Petrikirche Schlenderhaner Str. 32–34, Niehl Cologne Armenian community (formerly St. Christophorus) Allensteiner Str. 5, Niehl

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St. Clemens Friedrich-Karl-Str. 222, Niehl St. Engelbert Riehler Gürtel, Riehl

An eye-catcher: the church tower of the Petrikirche in Niehl

congregation in the nave. Since 1989, the church has been used by the Armenian community, who have added a dome to the minimalist interior.

Further south is St. Clemens, a Catholic church built by Karl Band, one of the leading names in Cologne’s church architecture. Here, Band built a Gothic-style altar vault supported by bare concrete pillars. For its part, the red-brick church tower is a direct nod to the factory towers in Cologne’s industrial north. Across Nordpark and Riehler Gürtel we pedal our way to Riehl and see the Protestant Stephanuskirche with its impressive saddle roof and its Catholic neighbour St. Engelbert. In 1931, the latter was built by

The churches’ designs pay homage to the industrial north of Cologne

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St. Hildegard in der Au Correnstr. 2, Nippes

Dominikus Böhm as an architectural expression of the Liturgical Movement, much to the displeasure of the Vicar General. The parabolic outer walls are made of modern concrete but decorated with traditional brickwork.

The last stop on the tour is St. Hildegard in Nippes. This square church is characterised by its tiny windows, the calling card of architect Stefan Leuer. The altar and tabernacle are also well worth a visit.

This church is not likely to be there for much longer – as the parishes have more space than money, modern churches are the first to be phased out as places of worship. Here in Nippes, they will be replaced by urgently needed housing.

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ruhr touris

James Turrell „Floater 99“, © Frank Vinken

ruhrkunstmuseen.com

Experience art and culture in the Ruhr area.

You will love it!

ruhrbuehnen.de

an initiative of Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

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Eating out in Cologne:

Photo: Marcel Wurm

Dinner restaurants

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Josephskirchstr. 25, nobiko.de, outdoor seating

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Nr. 33 12,80 €

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Mediterranean. Simple elegance with a hint of modernity: this may well be the best way to describe the stylish corner restaurant in Neuehrenfeld, where you can sit outside in the shade of magnificent art nouveau-style buildings. The food here is excellent with a strong emphasis on regional and seasonal ingredients. The trout mousse is creamy and delicately seasoned, served with a spaghetti-style cucumber salad with a hint of mint.

Marinating the sea bass in elderflower is a superb idea! The saltimbocca in a light cream sauce is tender and wrapped in mild bacon and sage. It is served with risotto, which contains fresh herbs and lots of parmesan. All of which is accompanied perfectly by liberal quantities of Blanc de Noire. And the Primitivo goes wonderfully with the osso buco and its rich sauce and fried oregano gnocchi. Julia Uehren

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Chinese. The friendly proprietor welcomes us at the entrance to the restaurant at the quiet end of Florastrasse in Nippes. As a starter we go for the deep-fried lotus roots, which are crispy on the outside but still fresh and crunchy on the inside and served with a sweet chilli dip. The wide range of main courses includes various meat, fish and vegetarian options. Following the staff ’s recommendation, we order the Fromanda spicy vegetarian stew and the beef with spring onions and ginger. As well as being chock-full of juicy tofu and fresh vegetables, the stew very much lives up to its name while still being delicately seasoned. The beef comes with fried sweet onions and strips of leek and bell peppers in a sauce refined with threads of ginger. We drink refreshing Chinese beer and make a mental note to try the roasted rice tea next time. Cosima Lorenz

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Fromanda

Am Frankenturm 5, feinkost-maibeck.de, outdoor seating

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Venloer Str. 538, karlhermanns.de, outdoor seating

Tobias Pastoors

maiBeck Michelin-starred. Regional.

A laid-back atmosphere like this is not often found in gourmet cuisine circles. Before the four-course menu, bread and salted butter are served – or, for vegans, bread with a dish of warm olive oil. Even though there is no mention of vegan food on the menu, the restaurant – which has held a Michelin star for some years now – always offers an appetising alternative. For instance, as an alternative to the salmon sashimi, zucchini strips on a bed of radish, Amalfi lemons and asparagus kimchi are served. Needless to say, the non-vegan cuisine is also sublime. The meat dish – shoulder of beef – is melt-in-your-mouth tender. A wonderfully inventive touch is that you can also get a glass of excellent wine to go, which can be enjoyed on a stroll along the Rhine.

Gourmet cuisine at its laid-back best. Tobias Pastoors

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Burgers. Even the stylish dining area is an indication of the exceptional food that is served here. As the waiter explains, the freshly minced beef comes from pasture cows that are fed exclusively on grass and hay and not given antibiotics or any other additives. After the first bite, we all agree that these burgers are fantastic! The pulled beef burger – tender meat in a spicy but not too smoky BBQ sauce – is served in a brioche with red cabbage. The 150-gram bacon cheeseburger is subtly seasoned to bring out the intensive taste of the beef, while the homemade fries (with the skins still on) and sweet potato fries are deep-fried in beef fat and perfectly crisp. And the restaurant’s very own dips are the perfect accompaniment. From the drinks menu, we order an ice-cold mint lemonade and a Nolte craft beer.

Vegan. A great vegan eatery on the other side of the Rhine to the Cathedral. This small restaurant is devoted entirely to Japanese udon noodles, which are generally served in a broth. Depending on the dish in question, the broth is made of numerous ingredients – with red tantan udon, the most prominent of these are the pointed cabbage and the ginger and garlic paste. As well as this, the nori algae leaves laid out inside the bowl add a salty hint of the sea. Something else you should definitely try is the hojicha, roasted green tea that can be served hot or cold. It is dominated by a roasting aroma, with the familiar green tea flavour arriving as an aftertaste. After this you’ll know why so many people make the trip over the river. To avoid disappointment, be sure to reserve a table.

ISSN 1867-910

Karl Hermann’s

ISSN 1867-9102

Küchen el, alle

tagnacht – the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

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New Work, or what you really, really want The internet age draws on a philosophy from the 1970s. It was back then that Frithjof Bergmann pioneered the New Work concept that saw work as a tool for people. Here’s the lowdown on five Cologne companies who know exactly how they really, really want to work Text Thomas Riedel

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© Nora Hase

Striving for diversity: Girls’ Day at Eyeo

Cologne local Timon Vielhaber wanted to do things differently. In 2015, he had had enough of corporation life and, together with a colleague, established World of VR, a start-up that develops virtual reality applications for corporate training and product experiences.

The two founders were constantly on the lookout for better ways to integrate their employees and keep them in the company. “The way in which companies are being managed is changing”, says Vielhaber.

This is something he has also seen reflected in the latest business literature. Vielhaber claims that the focus in the past was on “management by numbers” and “efficiency”, while today it’s all about having fun at work and organisations with a purpose. In 2019, after reading “Reinventing Organisations” by Frederic Laloux, he and his co-founder decided to reorganise their small Cologne company along holacratic lines. Over the next six months, the two founders introduced a new operating system, with roles and circles instead of traditional hierarchies.

“These are all intelligent people,” explains Vielhaber, when asked how a company can function without a conventional management structure. “You have to explain the company’s purpose. And then programmers will understand that they have to program to keep the company going.”

But holacratic doesn’t mean that there aren’t any rules – quite the opposite in fact. For example, a role can only be changed in the monthly governance meeting. In the first few months, the entire team was still literally “doing it by the book”, adhering strictly to the instructions from the manual, but eventually adapted the rules to incorporate their own experiences. The tactical meetings that used to be held every week now only take place when necessary.

Vielhaber and his VR company are just one example of a new generation of startups that are not interested in becoming a billion-dollar “unicorn” and more about running a company that people enjoy working at. In this, Daniel Bartel, an expert in agile working and sustainability,

It’s about having fun at work and working with a purpose

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© Richard Hebstreit

The father of New Work: Frithjof Bergmann

Holacratic glasses: World of VR

The Rhineland scene has retained much of its laid-back attitude

sees a global trend that actually fits with the typical Rhineland approach to capitalism. While the scene has become more professional – in a strictly turbocapitalist sense – in start-up hubs like Munich, he believes that the Rhineland region’s startup scene has retained much of its openness and laid-back attitude. This might initially sound more like partying than efficiency, but the healthy figures suggest otherwise. According to a study by the city’s business development agency, the value of Cologne’s start-up ecosystem has

increased by 2.4 billion euros in the past five years – which means that it can easily keep up with other cities.

And a look around Cologne’s start-up sector shows more and more companies that are “purpose-driven”. Nomoo is an ice cream start-up that wants to do more than just appeal to the taste buds. Its dairy-free ice cream is purely plantbased and its packaging contains no plastic whatsoever. As their slogan puts it: “ Vegan ice cream for the ice caps”.

Established in 2018, the start-up, which employs a team of 25 people, sells its products in over 1,500 supermarkets.

Through its involvement in Girls’ Day, Eyeo – a digital company and Cologne start-up veteran with over 300 employees – is committed to increasing the number of women in technical vocational training professions. It has introduced a mandatory quota of women for its top management, which means that a female CTPO has now joined the previously all-male team.

All of these are examples of a work culture that is known today as “New Work”.

But what would Frithjof Bergmann himself think about this very broad definition? Originally from Saxony, he fled from the Nazis to Austria with his family when he was a child, before emigrating to the USA. It was there, in the 1970s, that he developed his New Work philosophy, which is all about people doing work that they “really, really” want to do. For Bergmann, it all came down to a new understanding of work: he believed that, rather than being seen as a means to an end, work should be something that makes free people feel fulfilled. So if they were able to arrange their work flexibly, if they could produce lactose-free, environmentally friendly ice cream and if a company’s top management also reflected the gender composition of its workforce, then Bergmann might well be on board.

But he definitely would have agreed with employees taking the initiative. Such as Hendrik Gernert, Lead Information Architect at Cologne digital agency Nexum.

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to use a product, she decided to take the initiative. A quick fix wasn’t possible for the product, but as it was going to be completely redeveloped anyway, she sat down with the product team and spoke to them about accessibility. When the product is relaunched at the end of the year, it will be possible to operate it via keyboard. And compatibility with screen readers will be added at a later date. For UX designer Reichart, the initiative was a resounding success: the Brainworx team is now discussing whether to make accessibility standard to a certain degree.

Looking back, Timon Vielhaber is also glad that he decided to make his World of VR company holacratic: “It’s a massive change that takes up a lot of time. You have to ask yourself if it’s really worth your while.” And how does he decide if it is? While staff turnover at start-ups is famously high, World of VR can safely claim that job satisfaction among its team is soaring.

worldofvr.net nomoo.de eyeo.com nexum.de brainworx.audio

© RBA, Marion Mennicken

In his opinion, the problem was that his clients don’t explicitly ask for their websites to be accessible and barrier-free, even though this actually affects the inherent quality of them. So off his own bat, Gernert decided to do something about it. At the Nexum Academy, he offered courses to train his employees and brought a blind lecturer on board. It’s important for companies to be prepared when their clients start demanding accessibility. And it might even make it into a pitch one day.

Alexandra Reichart, User Experience Designer at Brainworx Audio, had a similar experience. Having played a central role in her previous job, accessibility had become a matter very close to her heart.

“It’s not the person who is disabled; you are the one who is creating a disability in a particular situation,” says Reichart.

When she moved to Brainworx and the customer support team assigned her a ticket from a blind user who was unable

© NS-DOK, Jörn Neumann

NS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE EL-DE House COLOGNE DURING NATIONAL SOCIALISM Gestapo Prison Memorial

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NS-Dokumentationszentrum der Stadt Köln – EL-DE-Haus Appellhofplatz 23–25 50667 Köln Phone +49/(0)2 21/221-263 32 www.nsdok.de 12.05.17 10:29 12:46 17.09.21

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

A day in the life of …

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… Bassam Ghazi Cologne is the city that I’ve lived in the longest. I was born in Beirut, grew up in Berlin and have lived in the north of Germany, Beirut, Heidelberg and then in Berlin again. But I’ve been living in Cologne-Mülheim since 2003. I feel really attached to this part of the city. And even though we’ve since moved to nearby Dellbrück, I can still officially say I live in the district of Mülheim!

From my old apartment I was able to walk along the Rhine to work, coffee in hand – or go for an early-morning jog there. This is also where the gentrification of Mülheim is at its most glaringly obvious. When you’re walking down the new promenade towards Stammheim, all you can see are new builds lining the banks of the river. Ever since I’ve lived here, I’ve been constantly drawn to the Rhine, which is a real gift for the city. Many of the riverbanks have remained in their natural state without being paved over in concrete, which adds to the quality of life here.

My days off are usually at the weekend and you’ll often find me down at the river.

I like to use the time to catch up with my children because I don’t see much of them during the week as our working days at the theatre usually last well into the evening. But first things first: housework! I usually get the kids sorted and venture out by around 11 am. Up until recently we had a cargo bike, but it got stolen. I used to be able to put both kids into the attached box and pedal them around town, playing music on the speakers for them. We usually start by heading to the playground on Münzstrasse next to the Mülheimer Mäuerchen, a wall where people like to sit and admire the river views, where I’ll grab a coffee from Café Jakubowski. Another favourite spot of ours is

the pirate playground on Deutz-Mülheimer-Strasse, right next to Café Rheinspaziert, where they have great waffles!

After that, we leave our bike next to the Katzenbuckel bridge at the port of Mülheim and walk over to the other side, to the Jugendpark headland. We always like to sit in the same place on the riverbank. When their nursery was closed during lockdown, it felt like I was bringing my kids here every other day – and thanks to my mobile hotspot I had my very own open-air office. But the Jugendpark is actually a place where we prefer to switch off, so I don’t want to spoil it by working.

In summer we barbecue vegetable skewers and tofu or beef sausages and in winter we bake bread on a stick over a campfire – and I even encourage the kids to carve their own wooden sticks! I grew up as a real city kid in the Neukölln area of Berlin, so it always feels like I’m reclaiming a bit of nature for myself here.

And because of its unique vibe, I don’t think there’s a better place to do this in Cologne than the Jugendpark. The best thing about it is that it’s been pretty much left in its natural, untamed state. This is where I come to take time out from my everyday life. And whenever I’m looking for that kind of peace and quiet in Dellbrück, I’ll sometimes go for a wander around the cemetery. The calming atmosphere seems to instantly wash over the children. But my wife refuses to join us – she finds walking around graveyards a bit morbid.

And wherever we have been, we always stop off for ice cream on the way home. Back at home, I get the kids ready for bed and read them a story. And if there’s enough time left in the evening, I like to sit down and enjoy a glass of red wine with my wife.

In the Jugendpark, I feel like I’m reclaiming a bit of nature for myself

Bassam Ghazi is a drama teacher and director. After working as director of the free youth-theatre ensemble Import Export Kollektiv at Schauspiel Köln, he is now with Schauspiel Düsseldorf.

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ts a ts an an itn ss to th ast

Cologne’s museum landscape encompasses far more than just the big names.

Join us on a visit to four very different locations off the beaten tourist track Text Jens Peter Koerver Photography Jennifer Rumbach

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The EL-DE-Haus chooses not to refer to itself as a museum, opting instead for a matter-of-fact description that translates as the National Socialism Documentation Centre of Cologne. Housed in a centrally located building from the 1930s, its name refers to the initials of its owner, Leopold Dahmen, who rented the building shell to the Gestapo – the official secret police of Nazi Germany – who were based here between 1935 and 1945. As the building survived the war largely undamaged, the Gestapo prison in the basement remained intact. A total of 1,800 inscriptions etched, written and drawn by detainees were laid bare in the cells. In many different languages, they bear direct and impressive witness to the horrors of the Nazi regime. The courtyard that can be accessed from the basement looks banal yet horrific – 400 people were murdered here. Now retained as a memorial site, this part of the EL-DE-Haus is supplemented by an extensive, multifaceted permanent exhibition on the first and second floors that details the Nazi era in Cologne with the aid of written and photographic testimonies. There is plenty of material to read in this joyless former office space, which is ideal for the subject matter in question. As there aren’t (yet) any translations of these numerous, sometimes scarcely legible documents, it’s a good idea to make use of the audio guide (in a choice of eight languages).

There are also temporary exhibitions and special guided tours for children.

It’s just a few minutes’ walk from the hustle and bustle of Neumarkt to the calm of Kunst-Station Sankt Peter (St. Peter’s

The door to the atrocities of the past: EL-DE-Haus

Art Station). Ever since the 1980s, the late Gothic building has helped to improve the relationship between the Catholic Church and contemporary art and music – while also serving as a busy parish church.

On weekdays, when the pews have been removed, the church comes into its own as a first-class exhibition space. In a relaxed atmosphere, visitors can take in the works that form part of the changing exhibitions, most of which were created specifically for this space. The same goes for music: in addition to regular performances – and occasionally premieres – of contemporary chamber music, this is also the place to come to listen to the latest organ music.

If you’re not in the mood for art in closed spaces or want to take in some top-class sculptural works before heading off to the zoo, the Skulpturenpark (Sculp-

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Art and prayers: Kunst-Station Sankt Peter | © Chris Franken Fotografie

National Socialism Documentation Centre of Cologne / EL-DE-Haus Appellhofplatz 23–25, 50667 Cologne, nsdok.de

ture Park) is well worth a visit and free of charge. Open since 1997 and situated close to both the zoo and the Rhine, these grounds feature a wide range of sculptures comprising 44 works in all. Some of it is easy to miss – a case in point being the slowly disappearing copper foil on the Kunst-Station two entrance doors by Edith Dekyndt.

Sankt Peter Some is confusingly similar to the (cultiJabachstr. 1, 50676 vated) natural surroundings of the park: Cologne, Mandla Reuter’s tree is positioned desankt-peter-koeln.de monstratively in the middle of a path, but it is ultimately just a tree as well. Barry Sculpture Park Cologne Flanagan’s large bronze sculpture of two Riehler Str. (main dancing hares will appeal to lovers of the entrance) / near the classic figurative genre, while Michael Zoobrücke bridge, Sailsdorfer’s (real) helicopter is mysteri50668 Cologne, skulpturenparkkoeln. ous and Mary Bauermeister’s rustically wooden place of assembly cryptic at best. de The architectural and utilitarian side of Museum of East sculpture can be seen from Heimo ZoberAsian Art nig’s veritably spartan “Spartakus CaterUniversitätsstr. 100, ing”. If you want to take the weight off 50674 Cologne, your feet, you can stop for a rest on the museum-fuer-ostacanopied benches. Some works belong to siatische-kunst.de the permanent collection of the Sculpture Park, which is supported by a foundation.

Others were introduced as part of the new installations that take place every two years. The current, tenth edition will remain on display until the end of 2022, after which some works will be replaced or rearranged and joined by new additions.

The Museum of East Asian Art is felt by many to be the most appealing of all the state art institutions in Cologne – and one of the least well known. This is in spite of its sophisticated architecture and enviable location amid the green surroundings of the Aachener Weiher pond. It showcases works from China, Japan and Korea, in particular classical pieces such as early Chinese pottery, some of which are up to around 5,000 years old. The diverse collection includes art and handcrafts ranging from the sacred to the secular, and from everyday works to rare masterpieces. As well as presenting sections of the collection and three exquisitely designed country rooms, there are agreeably sized exhibitions on specific themes. A perfect balance is struck between the information provided on each piece and its intrin-

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sic aesthetic value, whether it is a bronze glockenspiel, a water dropper, a scholar’s rock, a magnificent imperial robe, a hat worn by Korean government officials, the sculpture of an ascetic monk, an absurd piece of lacquerware or an unassuming tea bowl. After leaving this stimulating environment, there are plenty of places to spend the rest of the day nearby. Particularly in the summer and at the weekend, the green fields surrounding the Aachener Weiher are a popular destination for parties and barbecues. If you prefer peace and quiet, you can cross Universitätsstrasse and walk or cycle along the Lindenthal canals, stopping to marvel at the Christi Auferstehung parish church designed by Gottfried Böhm before heading for the Stadtwald forest and leaving the city behind you.

A hidden gem: Museum of East Asian Art

Media and Fine Art en.khm.de

Animation

Interface

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Art in Public Space

Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln Academy of Media Arts Cologne Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln Academy of Media Arts Cologne Live Directing Experimental Film

Video Art

Documentary Film

Feature Film

Artistic Photography

Queer Studies

Application Jan./Feb. 2022

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Sustainable urban jungle

The interior trend is showing no signs of stopping: fluffy pampas grass, gypsophila and exotic succulents are adding colour to homes everywhere. Here’s our round-up of the city’s finest purveyors of plants and petals Text Katja Peglow

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Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Cologne’s florists were able to remain open at the beginning of the year, reliably providing us with a welcome splash of colour during the gloomy days of lockdown. And it’s just as well, because the interest in plants and flowers is continuing to boom in the city. Spending much more time in their homes, people really began to take an interest in their indoor plants and developed a whole new appreciation for them. Even the good old bouquet experienced something of a revival in the form of dried flowers. And anyone who wanted to give their home a quick makeover during lockdown was more likely to opt for dried eucalyptus, fluffy pampas grass or gypsophila than give the walls new coat of paint. Grasses and wild blooms in particular make great dried flowers – which, incidentally, have long since ditched their old-fashioned, dust-collecting reputation to become one of last year’s top interior trends.

These trends also reflect the current desire for comfort, cosiness and more sustainable ways of living. Not only do dried flowers brighten up any room, but they are also extremely low-maintenance, don’t need any water and, as the environmentally friendly alternative to cut flowers, have become the byword for a new approach to sustainability. And best of all: Unlike many demanding exotic houseplants, you don’t need green fingers to keep them alive – dried flowers usually last for quite a while. A particularly eye-catching selection can be found at Herbarium (Brüsseler Str. 52). With her wonderful store, owner and wreath specialist Nina Kleinz has created a green feel-good oasis for plant lovers in the heart of the Belgian Quarter. While its sister store Goldregen directly opposite of-

fers a wide range of fresh cut flowers, Herbarium stocks trendy potted plants, dried flowers and matching, tasteful décor accessories. Its ceramic pots, filigree vases and baskets will showcase your flowers and foliage to full effect. From large-leafed Monsteras to tiny cacti and rare Marantas, you’ll find everything you need to create an urban jungle within your own four walls. And as if all that weren’t enough: Herbarium holds monthly workshops where you can learn the art of wreath and bouquet making. mill – vintage & interior (Eifelwall 44) takes the plant trend one step further, offering matching interior accessories and vintage furniture from the Bauhaus and Mid-Century eras. Which makes perfect sense given that some houseplants have now even become design objects in their own right. Renovated as a genuine labour of love, the vintage store in the south of the city initially specialised in furniture and interior but is now well established as a mecca for plants. Taking centre stage here are dried flowers, which are available in all conceivable shapes and colours at perfectly reasonable prices. Nippes in the north of the city also has a fantastic concept store for flowers and plants – Feather & Fern (Neusser Str. 183) – which only opened this year. Master florist and store owner Elisa Fodera grew up in the neighbourhood and, as far as possible, sources her fresh array of blooms from the local Rhineland region. With her friendly demeanour and impressive knowledge of all things floral, Elisa specialises in custom flower arrangements for weddings and other events and also has a fine eye for Scandinavian accessories and stylish interior trends – as her exquisite store demonstrates.

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Indoor plants have long ditched their old-fashioned, dust-collecting reputation

Herbarium Brüsseler Str. 52, 50674 Cologne, Mon–Fri: 10 am–7:30 pm, Sat: 10 am–6:30 pm mill–vintage & interior Eifelwall 44, 50674 Cologne, Mon–Thurs: pm–7 pm, Fri: 12 noon–7 pm, Sat: 11 am–6:00 pm Feather & Fern Neusser Str. 183, 50733 Cologne, Mon–Fri: 9:30 am–7 pm, Sat: 9 am–5 pm

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Design stores with style

Photo: Maria Köhler

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Text Raum 5

Mill Vintage & Interior

Cologne has always had a solid reputation as a design metropolis – here’s our round up of five unique stores where you’re sure to pick up some great souvenirs

Located in a former picture framing store, this vintage paradise belongs to sisters Mari and Lena Müller, who renovated it themselves as a genuine labour of love. They offer a fine selection of interior accessories and vintage décor and furniture and have a particularly soft spot for Bauhaus and mid-century styles. With its unique blend of old and new, Mill is living proof that sustainability can still be modern and stylish, with every gem salvaged by the store playing its part in the fight against mass consumption. The wide range of goods is complemented by plants, dried flowers and eye-catching plant pots with the matching stands.

Eifelwall 44, 50674 Cologne, mill-living.de

SCHEE Store manager Dennis Korte has succeeded in turning online shop SCHEE into a vibrant purveyor of out-of-the-ordinary design in Cologne’s Belgian Quarter. As soon as you set foot inside, your eyes will be drawn to the huge wall adorned with 150 framed prints by artists from all corners of the globe.

You’ll also find prints by design studio WhatWeDo from Copenhagen and washable, ecofriendly paper products with a variety of uses from Tuscany. A tempting array of sweets are on display at the cash desk – and a lustrous selection of pendant lamps suspended above it. In July 2020, SCHEE opened a second store right next door, where you can also get your hands on their cookbook. Guten Appetit!

Maastrichter Str. 36 & 40, 50672 Cologne, schee.net

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© Anne Deppe Photography

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Siebter Himmel Books – fashion – design. Siebter Himmel (which is German for ‘Seventh Heaven’) is a unique cross between a bookshop and a design store located in the Belgian Quarter. Everyone is sure to find a new favourite book here – from literature and children’s stories to design, cookbooks and other non-fiction. An extensive product selection by popular Scandinavian designers reflects the latest trends in interiors, décor and stationery, including brightly coloured fashion and homeware by Finnish label Marimekko. Or if you prefer to treat yourself instead, you can make a beeline for one of the many little cafés or restaurants nearby and get stuck into your new book right away.

Brüsseler Str. 67, 50672 Cologne, siebterhimmel.de

Tøndel With everything from modern to classic design, Gernot Thöndel and Miriam Brühl fly the flag for Scandinavian elegance at their Ehrenfeld store. Their innate appreciation of good design is evident in the way they present their items in the lovely showroom with its long window fronts. Customers can browse minimalist office furniture and sofas by Hay, Scandinavian textiles by traditional weaving mill Lapuan Kankurit and timeless sideboards by Treku from the north of Spain. Thöndel and Brühl’s store has given a real boost to the neighbourhood’s shopping credentials and showcases designers whose creations aren’t available in your average online shop.

Siemensstr. 9, 50825 Cologne, toendel.de

Goldkant You can now get your design fix at this former pharmacy in the south of Cologne: owner Elmar Schreurs has a clear predilection for Scandinavian interior style, which he supplements with items by designers from France and Germany. He clearly enjoys mixing and matching established brands with aspiring young labels and producers. After training to become a cabinetmaker and graduating with a degree in wood technology, Elmar worked as a product manager at a furniture manufacturer.

At the beginning of 2017, it was “time for something new”, so he decided to strike out on his own.

And what better location to set up shop than the lively Merowingerstrasse with its little stores, cafés and restaurants?

Merowinger Str. 8, 50677 Cologne, goldkant.de

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Cologne’s bar scene:

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Mixologists at work

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Roonstr. 94, onamor.de, no outdoor seating

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It’s never easy to choose a drink from the menu here since all the recipes sound so intriguing. The Bloody Maria with agave tequila, premium tomato juice and parmesan chip is pleasantly tangy and spicy. El Caracol is based on Chilean Pisco brandy and white tea, the raspberry dust on the outside of the glass providing a fruity bouquet.

Powerful notes of aquavit are mixed with cold brew and cocktail bitters and rounded off with vermouth rosé. And the bittersweet taste of the Nordic Oil concoction complements its delicate hint of caraway.

Not only are the drinks here mixed to perfection, but they all come with a twist as well. However, it’s not only the cocktails that set this bar apart: as well as the attentive service and upscale furnishings, the music in this lounge ranges from Motown to electro. Marco Kramer

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From simple classics to innovative cocktails made from self-produced ingredients, this bar is ideally equipped to quench the thirst of discerning guests in the heart of the Belgian quarter. Even with highballs and long drinks with gin and mixers – like the Raspberry Ginger Collins – there are a whole host of aromas to be discovered, such as raspberry, lemon and cardamom with balsamic vanilla. Cinema Cocktail is a fun creation with a highly original decoration: the combination of popcorn and bourbon with lemony notes is nothing short of glorious. The Ducktail, a light gin soda with lemon and elderberry aromas, takes presentation to new heights in a miniature bathtub complete with rubber duckie and espuma! The bar also sells bottled drinks – perfect as a gift for friends or an indulgent night in. Marco Kramer

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Little Link

Sudermanplatz 3, sudermanbar.de, outdoor seating

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Ona Mor The first thing you’ll notice once you set foot inside is that the light from the outside world is kept out by the thick curtains. Once your eyes have adjusted, there is nothing else to distract you from the drinks served here. With its apple espuma and popping candy, the Mojo – a twist on a mojito – is a really fun cocktail. However, the drink itself is prepared with precise attention to detail. The same can be said of the Maybach Club Fizz, served in a kind of Asian takeaway box with candyfloss that looks like noodles. With calvados, lemon, fig jam and a splash of soda, it’s a winning combo. Or if you want to take things up a notch, you can try a Senf Simone (Mustard Simone), a tangy, sweet ‘n’ sour creation based on tequila with pureed forest berries, sweet mustard, lime and agave syrup.

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The drinks here are conjured up with special aromas and exotic spices in a way that you hardly ever see in Cologne. Shortly after arriving, guests are presented with salty snacks and every cocktail comes with a glass of water. While gin, whiskey and rum are found in many of the concoctions, arrack – a distillate of fermented plant juices of date palm, sugar palm or coconut palms that is also known as “toddy” or “palm wine” – is the spirit of choice at Toddy Tapper. The menu features classics such as the Ceylon Mule and the strong Amrita with Indian whiskey and arrack, spices from Ceylon and a creamy, salty finish. A fresher tasting alternative is the Paddy Mule, with pineapple, fresh notes of kaffir lime leaves, lemon and, of course, arrack.

Suderman Exuding an air of cool chic, this stylish cocktail bar serves up drinks with a fresh and seasonal focus. All their own creations, they are named after the local neighbourhood. The Flora Highball comes with a generous helping of gin, elderflower and a clear aroma of violets, while the addition of lemon, soda and cucumber garnish make it a colourful and refreshing option. The classic Rum Daiquiri is zesty and very dry.

Named after the Agnesviertel quarter in which the bar is situated, the Schwester Agnes (Sister Agnes) cocktail is made with two different types of rum, earthy spiced berries and a fancy espuma topping. There are plenty of enticing non-alcoholic drinks to choose from as well. And the bar also offers gin tastings, cocktail courses and bottled cocktail creations that you can enjoy at home. Marco Kramer

ISSN 1867-910

Toddy Tapper

ISSN 1867-9102

Küchen el, alle

tagnacht – the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

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Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

A day in the life of …

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… Odo Rumpf Cologne is simply the best city I know in Germany: because of its diversity, culture, people, flair, openness and attitude to life. However outlandish your ideas may be, you can still make them work here. My work as an artist thrives on communication and interaction and that is only really possible in an open and vibrant city like Cologne. I’m a real culture vulture and would be perfectly happy going to the Opera House or Museum Ludwig. But as an artist myself, I’m always looking for experimental ideas and unusual cultural locations – for example, I was blown away by Gregor Weber’s Room Service at Kunsthaus Rhenania and the extreme Bodytalk productions. Not forgetting Futur 3’s avant-garde projects that are staged in unusual locations – like funeral parlours or people’s homes! I live near Ebertplatz and love what they are doing with the central square. You can take a stroll down Neusser Strasse where there’s no shortage of great places to pick up tasty, creative food that you can eat on the square. Or simply drink a coffee, soak up some culture in the Gold + Beton or Labor Ebertplatz galleries or watch the skaters glide around the new water fountain. It has plenty of flair – especially with all the initiatives that are doing great work there.

The area around Odonien is also getting more interesting, for example with the Wandelwerk pop-up transformation centre. It’s great to see that people who are working for socio-ecological change are finally being listened to and given space to do their thing! Right next door is the Olympia clubhouse, which has been under new management for a few years now. As well as serving up tasty food, it overlooks the sports ground. And if you’re really lucky, you’ll get to see DJ Hans

Nieswandt doing a late set. The Kahnstation beer garden in the Blücherpark is also a great place for a drink! It’s such a fantastic neighbourhood. I usually cycle to work and in my free time, I also like to pedal along the Rhine to the Crocodile Ferry in Weiss, where there are a couple of great riverside beaches en route. My favourite place to go swimming is the Waldbad in Dünnwald, which has a wonderfully shady location in the woods and always makes me feel like I’m on holiday.

Whenever I have a business meeting, I like to go to Café Wahlen on Hohenstaufenring, where the cakes are to die for. To get to know the city, you can’t beat Thomas Bönig’s sensational Kulturklüngel city tour. Rather than the usual tourist sights, he shows another side of Cologne, giving a real glimpse into how the locals tick. Of course, when it comes to trying out new ideas, Odonien is also leading the way by offering artists the opportunity to perform in very different surroundings. I’ve always seen Odonien as an incredibly special place: in the old days, it used to be party central with a reputation as a fantastic club – which is hardly surprising, given its unique location. These days we play host to a wide and varied mix of cultural activities: concerts, films, performances, theatre, fine arts, etc. For instance, I’m working with Jan Krauthäuser right now to put on a Global Music series every Friday, which is a great way to spend an evening. I’m really enjoying it myself: nice crowd, good music and always a great atmosphere in the beer garden. I see it as a kind of green oasis on Innere Kanalstrasse where you even get the odd fox or green parrot popping by.

You can’t beat the wild, untamed charm of this jungle in the middle of the city.

You can’t beat the wild, untamed charm of this jungle in the middle of the city

Odo Rumpf is an artist and has run the Odonien club and art space on Hornstrasse for the past 16 years.

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Plastic saves the day In Germany, food packaging is creating no end of rubbish. But Cologne start-up Vytal aims to change all this. Its mission: to replace all single-use cutlery, plates and cups with reusable ones Text Thomas Riedel Photography Thomas Schäkel

The odds are stacked in his favour: Sven Withöfft

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There is hardly anywhere in downtown Cologne with a wider choice of lunchtime food than Barbarossaplatz, where you can find takeout from virtually every corner of the world. But whenever I’m there, I often end up at the French place around the corner. Huhnsgasse, a street somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle of Barbarossaplatz, is home to a small eatery aimed at lovers of quiche: Frau Maaß & Herr Schlie.

Ina Maaß and Kai Schlie have been running their small quiche restaurant since 2018. As Kai Schlie explains: “The idea was to cater for the lunch crowd”.

Customers flock there between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm but, as there is very little seating, most people want their quiche to go. To begin with, they used sustainable disposal packaging made of bamboo.

“That was expensive but still not quite right – it would soak up moisture and then begin to fall apart,” Schlie says.

Which is why they were one of the first restaurants in Cologne to opt for Vytal.

“Vytal is a digital, deposit-free reusable system,” says Tim Breker, one of the three managing directors of the Cologne start-up, which now employs more than 60 people in Cologne, Paris and Vienna.

Vytal is a platform that provides packaging to restaurant owners, who are also permitted to use their own containers.

And they manage this like a kind of library system. Instead of a book, customers borrow a reusable plastic bowl with a lid. And instead of a shelf number on the spine of the book, there is a QR code that is scanned in whenever a bowl is borrowed.

As Breker declares: “We’re not a product – we’re a solution”. The solution: reducing disposable containers. According to Breker, over 1.25 million items of disposal packaging were avoided in 2021 alone thanks to Vytal. And although that is certainly something to be proud of, he

remains modest: “According to environmental and consumer protection association Environmental Action Germany, 800,000 single-use food containers, boxes, bowls and plates are used every hour in Germany. So there is still a very long way to go.” And that’s not even including the 320,000 disposable cups. Vytal’s aim is to eliminate all the disposable waste created by takeout and delivered food and to replace it with high-quality reusable packaging. Plastic and polystyrene disposable packaging has been banned in Germany since 3 July 2021, which may well give their efforts a significant boost in the future.

Inspiration for Vytal’s own start-up was the restaurant chain Vapiano. At the time, Breker was working at Cologne’s Mediapark and regularly got take-out food from there. As the restaurant’s disposable packaging was of very high quality and too good to throw away, Breker and his colleague Sven Witthöft wanted to reuse them next time they went there. However, the restaurant was not permitted to do this, as the law stated that food containers had to be cleaned in a commercial dishwasher. This made it clear to them where the problem was. After changing jobs, Breker volunteered at cup deposit system Faircup, where he realised that getting customers to pay deposits on reusable cups was not a very efficient approach because it forced them to shell out more money to begin with. Breker and Witthöft then brainstormed possible ways to take deposits out of the equation and hit upon a sharing concept whereby customers don’t need to pay anything to use the Vytal containers but if they don’t return them within 14 days, they automatically buy them for 10 euros.

Armed with this new concept, Breker and Witthöft began their lean start-up method: they went into a department

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Vytal is a library system for reusable plastic bowls

Re-use, re-model: Vytal’s office at Ursulaplatz

store, bought different reusable containers and tested them on restaurant owners and customers – with Mepal containers ultimately proving to be the most popular. The next step involved using the Mediapark as a test laboratory. In September 2019, Breker and Witthöft stood outside a restaurant there with an iPad, asking people if they would be willing to register for a digital reusable system to avoid paying deposits. As there was no app at the time, they handed out 200 stamp cards on that day. As the first bowls were shared in the Mediapark, they began to develop the app for restaurants. The app for customers was also launched at the beginning of October, with the canteen of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Bonn also on board.

March 2020 was full of ups and downs for the two founders. On the TV show “Höhle der Löwen” – the German version of “Dragons’ Den” – they received €450,000 for a 12.5 percent stake in the company. At the same time, restaurants were remaining shut owing to the corona-

virus pandemic, effectively scuppering their previous “business lunch” user case.

The young start-up succeeded in expanding its scope, growing by 10 percent every week. Vytal set up its own team of developers and received further investments amounting to a little over two million euros in February 2021.

And how does the start-up plan to earn money now? “What motivates us is that we are earning money by helping the environment,” says Breker. As well as an onboarding fee, restaurant owners pay 20 cents every time they use a bowl. Individual cities like Munich and (soon) Cologne are also expected to make a profit but Vytal has its sights set on further expansion: “By maximising our sales, we are also maximising the impact for the environment as entrepreneurs. And that’s what we want to do all over the country.”

Frau Maaß & Herr Schlie, the two beta test restaurant owners from Barbarossaplatz, are clearly impressed. Kai Schlie’s verdict: “It’s a great system that is both simple and hygienic”.

vytal.org

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kölnbusin

Ambitious plans?

Your startup is ready for the next step?

We can advise you on financing, help you find investors, and connect you within the startup ecosystem and with other companies - free of charge and individually. www.koeln.business/en/startups

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Meeting other entrepreneurs is easy in Cologne – and a vitally important way to get feedback on your start-up ideas or find like-minded people for your team. Here’s our pick of five fun events to keep you in the know and well connected!

Rheinland-Pitch The advice often given to young start-ups is: pitch, pitch, pitch! And the good news for Cologne start-ups is that Germany’s biggest pitch event is held every month at Startplatz, the city’s start-up incubator.

Over the past seven years, the local scene has come together more than 100 times at Cologne’s Mediapark to watch up to three fledgling start-ups present their business ideas. Following the pitch, the audience can put the founders through their paces – all moderated by start-up expert Vidar Andersen, who makes sure that everyone sticks to their allotted time.

The final events have been known to attract over a thousand guests! Once all the ideas have been pitched, the audience votes for the best one and – this being Cologne – then tucks into currywurst and beer. Offshoots from this event series, some dedicated to specific themes, are also held in Düsseldorf and other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. rheinlandpitch.de

Startup BBQ Like the Rheinland-Pitch, the Startup BBQ is an important regional networking event held at Startplatz in Cologne. Of course, it doesn’t get better than in summer, when the informal network can en-

joy the balcony views over steak, salad and Kölsch. And it’s not uncommon for participants to check out the local beer culture together afterwards as well. But not even the winter temperatures prevent the Startplatz team from firing up the BBQ. After all, networking is an important stage in starting up a company.

New arrivals to the Startplatz network use this opportunity to briefly introduce themselves and outline their needs. At the Startup BBQ you’ll meet start-up newbies and scene veterans – and will occasionally rub shoulders with people from local venture capital companies who have popped by to check out the latest ideas.

Meeting entrepreneurs is an important way to get feedback

startplatz.de/events

WdC Startup Breakfast Web de Cologne is a longstanding fixture on Cologne’s start-up scene. As a digital business network, it brings major players such as media group RTL, Deutsche Bank and DuMont Rheinland together with young start-ups and agencies. To swap inspiring start-up stories, the network invites members and guests to join them bright and early for breakfast and coffee in a laid-back atmosphere. The network’s affinity with traditional business makes it an interesting proposition for anyone working in the B2B sector – and, of course, lots of other areas of business as well. Another appealing feature is the rotating locations – either member companies take it in turns to host the breakfast or it is held at new co-working spaces like WeWork. webcologne.de

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Newbies meet

scene veterans at

DHC Hackathons Sometimes lasting several days, hackathons are intensive events that aim to implement project ideas in a short space of time with a view to learning as much as possible from them. And it’s not unusual for participants to team up on a joint start-up idea afterwards. Since 2018, Digital Hub Cologne (DHC) has been organising regular hackathons to bring potential start-up founders face to face with real-life problems being experienced by SMEs. This has been its function ever since it was established in 2016 by the City of Cologne, the University of Cologne and the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) as part of an initiative launched by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Previous hackathons have focused on areas such as HealthTech, ChemTech, PropTech and EduTech and further events are planned for 2022, pandemic permitting. If you have any other questions about starting up a business, DHC can provide valuable advice.

the Startup BB

Q

HGNC hochschulgründernetzwerk cologne, hgnc for short, is the first port of call for any Cologne students toying with the idea of launching a start-up. Here, over 20 partners from the region’s higher education institutions – such as the University of Cologne, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Cologne University of Applied Sciences – provide young start-up founders with a wide range of services, including start-up consulting and workshops. The regular hgnc lectures, which provide important basic knowledge about starting up companies, come highly recommended. Student start-up associations like Entrepreneurs Club Cologne assist the hgnc network in its work on a voluntary basis. Since 2020, hgnc has been based in The Ship, Germany’s most state-of-the-art office building, in Cologne’s Ehrenfeld district. hgnc.de/veranstaltungen/

digitalhubcologne.de/hackathons/

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düsseldor

Düsseldorf Live close Feel free

The best Japanese desserts?

Our tips for Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Storys – the Visit Düsseldorf blog.

duesseldorf-tourismus.de/storys an initiative of

co-funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

hc_startup_events.indd 79 düsseldorftourismus hidden21.indd 1

16.09.21 10:27 14:08 24.08.21

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

A day in the life of …

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… Matthias Hoffmann I grew up in Tyrol and have lived in Nippes, in the north of Cologne, since 2015. Even though I do miss Austria every now and again, it’s fantastic to be living here! What I appreciate the most is the warmth of the locals: it doesn’t take long to meet new people and you’re made to feel welcome wherever you go. My neighbourhood – or Veedel as we say here – is Nippes. I love living in the heart of the city and making the most of all its cultural and culinary experiences. Törtchen Törtchen does a great breakfast with superb coffee and impressive cakes. Café Eichhörnchen on Baudriplatz is also a wonderful place to relax and soak up the blend of Belgian and Nippes-style flair! Or if you want to read a book or magazine in peace and quiet while you enjoy your coffee, I can recommend taking a seat on one of the sofas at the Klein Berlin café. I also love the fact that there are so many good bookstores in Nippes, such as Buchhandlung Blücherstrasse and Buchladen Neusser Strasse. I can spend hours browsing the shelves there and always leave with plenty of new ideas and books.

If I’m in the mood for some hearty fare, I’ll go to Haus Schnackertz for their fantastic Nippeser Senfrostbraten (rump steak with a mustard crust) and delicious cheese spaetzle. But I also love Asian and Arabian food: Neusser Strasse is also home to a great Japanese restaurant called Shibuya Sushi, which serves up some amazing dishes. Near the Florastrasse tram stop is the Marhaba Imbiss, where you can get tasty shawarma and amazingly good sandwiches with halloumi or grilled vegetables. I often grab one to go and eat it on my way to the Flora botanical garden. Cologne has no shortage of lovely green spaces, parks and gardens but the Flora is my absolute

favourite – there’s nowhere like it! I’m always amazed by all the many different colour nuances and floral scents that fill the air. Coming from Tyrol, I do miss the mountains, of course, but this place always reminds me of home somehow.

My favourite spot is the corner with the alpine plants!

Nippes is also a great place for grocery shopping. I’m a regular at zero-waste store Tante Olga on Wilhelmplatz, where the bustling market also sets up its stalls every week from Monday to Saturday.

The Heimathirsch bar on Mauenheimer Strasse plays host to some really cool jazz nights and readings. For a fun night out with friends, I can heartily recommend Flora 6. And Blue Shell on Luxemburger Strasse offers a great mix of exciting music, poetry slams and friendly people. Due to our unsociable working hours at the opera, our team tends to spend a lot of time among ourselves, so I tend to listen to completely different music like rock or metal and meet different people whenever I do manage to hit the town.

Apart from that, I enjoy taking full advantage of all the culture that Cologne has to offer: my favourite museum is Museum Ludwig – I can spend hours there admiring its Expressionist collection. Or the small Käthe Kollwitz Museum at Neumarkt. Kolumba has a constant stream of interesting exhibitions and the fascinating architecture integrating an archaeological excavation site into a modern concrete build has also been used as a performance space by the Cologne Opera.

Unconventional places like this really open up new and exciting opportunities for high culture. With its great atmosphere and urban gardening project, I also enjoy going to the Schauspiel theatre in Mülheim.

I do miss Austria every now and again, but it’s fantastic to be living in Cologne!

Matthias Hoffmann comes from Tyrol and has been a bass baritone in the permanent ensemble of the Cologne Opera for five years.

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Where to stay in Cologne

Photo: Steve Herud

Photo : Stephan Strache / LOST IN A MOMENT

© the new yorker

Text Katja Peglow

Wohngemeinschaft

From an originally designed bunk in a dormitory room to a beautiful, neo-Gothic boutique hotel with cathedral-like vibes: our top five hotel tips to suit every taste and budget

The New Yorker

Accommodation that is both affordable and appealing is somewhat rare in Cologne. One exception is the Wohngemeinschaft, a hostel located in the Belgian Quarter, which is a real hit with backpackers. The lovingly decorated single, double and dorm rooms ooze originality and cosy flair. Whether you bed down in the Sixties-BeatBude (Sixties Beat Digs) or the Compagnie de Résisdanse (a girly ballet-style dorm), you won’t get bored here: the building feels like one big communal house where everyone is welcome. Perfect for solo travellers who don’t want to prop up the bar alone or who fancy taking in a concert, reading or play while they’re here.

Still the only design hotel on the right-hand side of the Rhine, The New Yorker opened its doors back in 1999 and is more than a match for its competitors across the water. Not far from the Messe Köln exhibition centre, the privately managed four-star hotel is a little off the beaten track in terms of proximity to the city centre, but its quiet location and free parking spaces on the doorstep more than make up for that.

The rooms give off a traditional yet modern vibe and the Event Loft, has a cosy lounge area and professional kitchen. The adjoining boarding house, where you can rent a furnished apartment for longer stays, also comes highly recommended.

Richard-Wagner-Str. 39, 50674 Cologne, die-wohngemeinschaft.net

Deutz-Mülheimer Str. 204, 51063 Cologne, thenewyorker.de

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Photo: Stefan Matthiessen

© Ralph Baiker

25hours Hotel The Circle Designed with meticulous attention to detail, 25hours Hotel The Circle in Cologne’s Gerling Quarter has been setting hipster hearts racing ever since it opened back in 2018. The stylish interior forms a striking contrast to the shell limestone façade of the complex, which housed the offices of an insurance company during the heyday of the German economic miracle. These days, guests are welcomed by a talking robot and can rent bicycles for free or browse the records in the retro-futuristic foyer, which also incorporates a great souvenir shop. And before you leave, make sure you take the elevator up to the eighth floor for drinks and panoramic vistas in the Monkey Bar or dinner at NENI. Im Klapperhof 22–24, 50670 Cologne, 25hours-hotels.com/hotels/ koeln/the-circle

The Qvest City-centre hideaway The Qvest has already established itself as something of an all-time classic here in Cologne. Its blend of 19th-century neo-Gothic architecture with a curated collection of furniture, contemporary art and photography is both elegant and sophisticated. This is what you get when the publisher of a design magazine dreams up their own hotel! With an upmarket price tag to match, The Qvest is a boutique bolthole that is certainly worthy of the description. Last year, two luxury townhouses were added to the rear of the building, which used to house the historical city archive.

Gereonskloster 12, 50670 Cologne, qvest-hotel.com

Koncept Hotel International A new take on the Cologne attitude to life beyond carnival and Kölsch: guests at the newest addition to Martin Stockburger’s hotel chain have Paten – or ambassadors – to provide them with online tips such as where the city’s best baklava or hottest salsa parties can be found.

Koncept Hotel International, which only opened this summer, isn’t far from the Chocolate Museum and focuses more on the city’s intercultural side.

After all, Cologne is every bit as vibrant as the eclectic décor of this freshly renovated building, which used to house the former Central Immigration Authority.

Blaubach 13, 50676 Cologne

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urbanana,

We have created three tours for you that are perfect for a day of exploration of each of the areas in urbanana.

Everything is well-connecHow could you explore the urban jungle encomted here, making travelling passing Düsseldorf, Cologne urbanana any better than in urbanana easy! No matand the Ruhr Area; perfectly the way locals do? Bike ter where your starting or shaped like a banana. Life is through the colorful quarending point is, no matter ters of Cologne, lined with vibrant here, with forever cafés and small shops; Walk where you are, everything changing scenery, creative belongs to urbanana. people and cool places that through artsy Düsseldorf with its Rhine tower always Conveniently, all you need inspire you, deeply. Come is your smartphone: Just and tour this multi-faceted in sight and drive around the Ruhr Area if you feel like scan the QR-Code and it region of NRW and feel the will show you the route being moved by the transvibe of the urbanana. on Maps with info about formation of this former all the different spots. industrial hub.

Let’s go! urbanana and its people await you!

eine Initiative von

Tourismus NRW e.V.

gefördert durch

© Pia Weselowski / Tourismus NRW

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ADVERTISEMENT

urbanana Ruhr Area You can discover four cities in one fantastic trip. But beware: the Ruhr Area is a big conurbation. Either you rent a scooter, take an e-bike or get into a car. Hop on our tour and enjoy!

Downtown Essen already has plenty of bustling sights. Just scan the QR code with your smart phone and see for yourself. This area has many architectural and unexpected gems to offer. For example, the wonderful Folkwang Museum, which was redesigned by David Chipperfield back in 2010.

Are you ready for a coffee break yet?

Sit down by the window of the Café De Prins at the Isenbergplatz and start heading towards the city’s coolest shopping street, Rüttenscheider Straße, with its many boutique shops and restaurants.

We recommend stopping by Elya’s concept store but please don’t be disappointed that their furniture doesn’t fit on your scooter.

The tour continues via the pictureperfect Margarethenhöhe and from there, to the largest camera obscura, located in Mülheim Broich. In the old water tower, you can enjoy the optical phenomenon before continuing onward towards neighboring Duisburg.

Before reaching our next destination, how about a quick urban art detour in the Meiderich Graffiti Tunnel? Then, we’ll

Zitat make our way to the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord. The Guardian refers to it as one of the most beautiful metropolitan oases in the world and one of the most unusual parks in the world and wonderful to explore.

Next stop, the Oberhausen Gasometer!

Let the glass elevator take you up to the roof so you can enjoy the incredible view of the Ruhr Area, which you have just traveled through so grandiosely. Afterwards, try a fun competition at the exciting 7th Space, a gaming place, where you can go on a virtual reality ghost hunt. And now, you’ve collected some treasures worth seeing. So, why not congratulate yourself for a job well done in urban exploration?

© RTG Ravi Sejk

Explore the Ruhr Area by scooter, e-bike or car.

Starting point: Essen City Center, you can arrive there from all other urbanana spots by train – because it is right next to the central station. Here, you will find e-scooters that you can rent.

Remember to wear a helmet. Better be safe than sorry.

s © Dennis Stratmann / Ruhrtourismu

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r

© Düsseldorf Tourismus / Sabrina Wenige

One day in Düsseldorf Explore Düsseldorf on foot.

Starting point: Düsseldorf Flingern, where many trains bring you to all the other wonderful destinations of urbanana in no time.

Düsseldorf is the city of fashion, the arts and home to the longest bar in the world.

Doesn’t it sound like a great combination?!

It most certainly is. So, let’s take a stroll You can easily walk this city! Start your day in Flingern, a vibrant quarter characterized by its young urban crowd. Have breakfast and mingle with the locals. Big murals on the house fronts brighten the city and for those who are on the hunt for the perfect soundtrack to their life, check out the beat retreat record stores.

Minutes away lies the Japanese quarter. Wander around the unique shops selling manga books and beautiful matcha cups. Try some of the authentic treats like the ramen soup at Takezo which is worth the visit.

Düsseldorf’s old town is famous for its bar culture. But there is one brewhouse that you shouldn’t miss. Often named “the best Alt-beer” in town, Füchschen serves their own dark super seller as well as hearty meals. If you are more in the mood for some art, visit Kunstsammlung NRW, which holds one of the biggest collections of modern art in NRW. The NRW Forum on the other hand presents the

world’s first AR (Augmented Reality) Biennale until mid-2022. Digital sculptures can be seen by using your own smartphone. An immersive experience that lets you interact with art in real time.

Pass Gehry’s glittering architectural icon at the media harbor, then stroll towards Unterbilk, one of Düsseldorf’s coolest quarters. Lorettostraße and Bilker Allee are lined with colourful outlets like the vintage-store, Frauenzimmer. There’s also enough variety available in the evening. Great cafes, restaurants and bars cover every taste. Perhaps a visit to the bar Dr. Pfeiffer is worthwhile, where you might catch some live music and maybe even party at Oh Baby Anna with the locals. There’s no better way to end the night in Düsseldorf!

© Bastian Pudill

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urbanana Köln Neighborhoods full of contrasts: design stores, fancy cafés, hip restaurants and bars. Cologne is colorful, lively and creative. The best way to explore the metropolis is by bike. Let’s go!

Start your tour in multi-cultural Mülheim, a neighborhood on the Schäl Sick, as the right bank of the Rhine is called. A lot is changing and developing there right now. Old industrial sites are becoming creative spots, co-working spaces are emerging, and the energy in Mülheim is inspiring. Let’s stop at the Mützepark, one of the hottest spots for street art in Cologne. From here, we make our way to Anker 7, probably the tastiest and most casual spot on the harbor in Cologne.

Past the Flora, with its pretty botanical garden, we head towards Nippes, a beau-

© Latrach Med Jamil

Zitat tifully idyllic and familiar Veedel (the kölsch term for neighborhood). Small streets lead to great locations. We recommend a snack at Morio on Schillplatz taking an in depth look at the trendy houseplants in the cute Mooi store, before cycling to the hip district: of Ehrenfeld Formerly a working-class neighborhood, today, a lively district full of young people. Many small, individual stores invite you to stroll along Körnerstraße and Bumann & Sohn, probably one of the hippest bars in the city which is only a few steps away. A quick craft beer at Braustelle, Cologne’s smallest brewery, is a must.

From Ehrenfeld you can cycle over the Belgisches Viertel to Südstadt.

The picturesque Veedel which sits directly on the Rhine is one of Cologne’s most popular neighborhoods. The special mix of urban wandering is unique, whether in the Alteburger Straße, where Southern European easiness arises in the cute brasseries or in the Rheinauhafen with its architectural highlights. Who would like to then end the day in review, sitting down at the Rhine beach with the sunset in view?

© Tobias Rademacher

Explore Cologne by bike.

Large parts of the route can be ridden on a bike path. But in many areas the sights can be reached only by using the streets.

Some caution is then required.

Starting Point: Mülheim train station, which can be reached by regional trains.

Who does not have a bike, can rent one from here.

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Food and drink shopping:

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Cook-it-yourself

Zitat

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Stacked against the walls of this small store are wooden crates of beer bottles adorned with an array of colourful labels. With over 250 types to choose from, it can be difficult for customers to decide. So it’s a good job that owner Roland Schön is always on hand to provide expert and friendly advice. The wide range on offer literally spans from A to Z: from ale to cloudy, unfiltered Zwickelbier. While many of the beers – like the Belgian La Chouffe Blonde – come from other European countries, some are produced closer to home. For instance, Em Dackelsche comes from Lieber Waldi, a small brewery in the nearby Sülz district. The shop also offers seminars and beer tastings and sells a selection of books and T-shirts. Andreas Flammang

EIN MAGAZIN DER

Venloer Str. 440, schwarze-liebe.de

3128

Wing On Hong In the south of Cologne, you’ll find a supermarket with a wide range of food from Asian countries that caters for all budgets. Some of its shelves are arranged according to categories such as dried spices, sauces or instant noodles, others according to country of origin. This includes ingredients for Korean and Japanese dishes. If you’re trying to get your hands on the paste you need for Thai soup tom kha gai or special ingredients for Chinese regional cuisine or Indonesian recipes, this should be your first port of call.

There’s also a wide range of fresh herbs like basil, coriander root and garlic chives, frozen fish and seafood and fresh vegetables such as pak choi and winter melon. As you make your way to the check-out, you’ll find chilled drinks and tempting snacks such as kerupuk crackers and dried green mangoes.

Poll-Vingster-Str. 215, koelner-bio-bauer.de

Schwarze Liebe Liquorice chocolate or liqueurs, tea or toothpaste, syrup or powder.

Soft or hard liquorice, for chewing or sucking. Sweet, salty or really salty. Stephan Erdmann’s specialist store in Cologne’s Ehrenfeld district covers the full spectrum of liquorice products. And the ‘black gold’ is certainly riding high in the trend stakes at the moment, particularly in German cities. The store’s focus is on unpackaged goods, which lends the sparsely furnished premises a certain old-fashioned charm: customers can pick and choose from over 70 jars of sweets on wooden wall-mounted shelves. As well as being pure heaven for hardcore liquorice fans, it is an ideal way for the uninitiated to discover the aromatic facets of this tasty treat, something that – here in Germany at least – is often equated with the mass-produced assortments marketed by Katjes or Haribo. Jan Lüke

30 1946

Severinstr. 20, naturmetzgerei-hennes.de

Der Kölner Biobauer At the entrance to this farm shop, you will be greeted by Anna, Lotta and Frieda – three goats chilling in front of their pens. Not far from their enclosed space are the greenhouses containing the produce sold in the adjacent farm shop. This scene is so idyllic that it’s hard to believe you’re still in Cologne. Since 1986, the Roußelli family have been running their farm in Vingst, in the east of Cologne. Here, customers can buy seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs grown on the farm. Radishes are sold in bunches and the rocket is weighed at the counter and packed in a paper bag. The organic eggs come from the freerange hens on the farm. As well as its own produce, the farm shop sells other certified organic foods such as pasta, cheese, bread and confectionery. Andreas Flammang

ISSN 1867-910

Naturmetzgerei Hennes Short ribs from young bulls are not the kind of thing you’d normally find on a barbecue here in Germany. But requests like these are all in a day’s work for this local butcher’s shop in the Severinsviertel neighbourhood. Particularly exacting customers are occasionally invited behind the counter into the refrigerated area to describe exactly what kind of cut they are looking for. This helps to cultivate an awareness of responsible meat consumption. At the counter, people queue up to receive their meat and cold cuts from the Naturverbund Niederrhein, a network of meat producers who rear animals under environmentally friendly conditions and in a species-appropriate way. On seeing the cold cuts on display, it’s easy to yearn for those childhood days when you’d be offered a slice of ham while your mother was placing her order. Valeria Scalerandi

FRISCH GETESTET ALLE VEEDEL, ALLE KÜCHEN! 1867-9102 ISSN

Küchen el, alle

tagnacht – the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

Berrenrather Str. 206, biermachtschoen.com

Marktstr. 1, asia-markt-wing-on-hong. business.site

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Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

A day in the life of …

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… Julia Komp I live in Mülheim not far from the huge Rheinpark, the perfect place to go for a morning jog. When the sky is blue, the Rhine is glistening in the sun, the grass is a lush green and flowers are blooming, it’s really idyllic there. I don’t tend to eat breakfast because, as a chef, my working days are usually very long, but I have been known to go out for brunch: I really like Café Vreiheit and Jakubowski in Mülheim. If I have a day off, I will head to Gruber’s, a stone’s throw away from Reichenspergerplatz. It’s an Austrian restaurant that serves great food and has a lovely terrace surrounded by greenery. I also have a few other favourite places for lunch and dinner: the menu at Henne Weinbar combines Asian-inspired dishes with gourmet classics. And the great thing about it is the “sharing is caring” concept – the small plates served here are meant to be shared, which means you don’t really keep track of how much you’re eating! I also really like Kosta’s in the Belgian Quarter for its classic Greek dishes, excellent wine list and swish cocktails.

Speaking of cocktails, I can highly recommend Spirits on Engelbertstrasse and Toddy Tapper near Ebertplatz. The Sri Lankan owner puts an exotic twist on classic concoctions with aromatic spices like cardamom and star anise. Absolute perfection in a glass! I’m a big fan of oriental flavours in general. If I’m peckish late in the evening, I’ll grab a falafel from Habibi on Zülpicher Strasse – I love multicultural places like that!

I think it’s great that you can see so much of Cologne in just one day, especially if you enjoy cycling or walking. Before returning to Cologne to work as a chef in 2020, I spent a while travelling around the world and also explored a lot

of cities on foot. If you ask me, that’s the best way to really get to know a place.

Here in Cologne, a good route to take is from the Cathedral to the Old Town and then down to the Rheinauhafen, over to the south of the city and Chlodwigplatz to the city’s ring road boulevard, the Ringe.

At Rudolfplatz you can turn into the shopping streets Mittelstrasse, Ehrenstrasse and Breite Strasse and cross the Hohenzollern Bridge over the Rhine. From there, you can then enjoy a leisurely walk or bike ride along the river to Mülheim and admire the architecture of this former industrial quarter. And you can’t beat a sundowner in the Rheinpark! It’s worth bringing a picnic blanket and ending the day there with a view of Cologne Cathedral.

I picked up plenty of inspiration on my travels. For example, I was really fascinated by how people spend their evenings in the Middle East. Once the heat subsides, everyone flocks to the cafés. In a laidback atmosphere, they drink mint tea and smoke traditional water pipes – that’s just part of everyday life there. Those were the moments on my trip when I was truly able to relax, soak up the inspiration around me and come up with ideas for new dishes. And still today, I will head to a shisha bar whenever I need to feel inspired – this might sound crazy, but it just reminds me of being on holiday. There’s no end of shisha bars in Cologne and although some don’t have the best image, there are also two or three good ones with a cool concept and a different kind of crowd. Such as Mason’s on Pfeilstrasse or Loya in Nippes, a chic-looking location with pink and purple décor that is anything but dark and dingy! I’m currently making plans to open my own fine dining restaurant called Sahila, where oriental cuisine will definitely have a role to play.

Whenever I need to feel inspired, I head to a shisha bar

Julia Komp, originally from Overath, became Germany’s youngest Michelin-starred chef when she was just 27. Following a stint at Lokschuppen in Cologne, she is now making plans to open her own restaurant Sahila.

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Shopping in Cologne

Cologne’s enviably unique mix of designer boutiques, off-beat record emporiums, lovingly curated vintage treasure troves, exquisite gourmet food shops and unusual bookstores make it a popular destination for shoppers

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

Text Katja Peglow

SNEAKERS UNPLUGGED More and more smaller stores are stocking organic textiles that are worthy of the name.

But before now, anyone looking for sustainable sneakers or trainers in Cologne was likely to be disappointed. This has all changed with Sneakers Unplugged, Europe’s first store dedicated to stylish, fair-trade sneakers made of organic – and, in most cases vegan – materials.

Cool kicks by labels such as Flamingos’ Life from Spain or Genesis Footwear from Germany are more than a match for their pricey competition. And they also happen to be free from residues and chemical additives and produced under fair conditions.

Alte Wallgasse 5, 50672 Cologne. Open Mon–Sat from 11 am to 7 pm

KÖSKI ROYAL Köski Royal in Braunsfeld is setting new standards in kiosk culture. Owner Charlotte Mieß-Paulssen also sells stylish interior accessories and green plants. Style is very much matched by substance here: you can look forward to espresso brewed on a proper machine with beans from local roastery Tim & Sebastian’s. Or scrumptious walnut and maple syrup buns and homemade banana bread. There is even a small area where you can sit and savour every sip of your freshly brewed coffee. But its ‘no boozing on site’ policy means you’ll have to move on if you want to drink the Kölsch you buy here.

Kitschburger Str. 247, 50933 Cologne. Open Tues–Sun from 9 am to 6 pm

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

FUNK MAGAZINE

POLYESTERSHOCK

UNDERDOG RECORDSTORE

Graphic designer and publisher Olga Funk has been running Cologne’s first and only independent print publications shop since 2020. Located near Hansaring, this minimalist popup store provides black-andwhite-proof that the printed word is still very much alive and well. Her simple yet elegant wooden shelves are filled with internationally recognised design, art and lifestyle publications, as well as independently produced, high-quality special interest magazines. Our tip: be sure to check out Colognebased fanzine Grapefruits, which showcases cool composers and sound artists, both past and contemporary, in each issue.

If you’re looking for highly individual second-hand clothing, Polyestershock in Ehrenfeld is the place to come. Located just off the busy Venloer Strasse, this small shop with a big heart has been around since 2010, selling tailor-made vintagewear from bygone decades. From classic polka-dot two-pieces from the 1950s to floral 1970s maxi-dresses and flamboyant throwbacks to the colourful 1980s, lovers of vintage clothing will be in their element browsing the racks here. Incidentally, if an item of clothing doesn’t quite fit, owner and fashion designer Anna Krus will alter it right away in her little studio at no extra charge.

Contrary to what its name suggests, Underdog Recordstore has been one of the most popular record stores in Cologne for over 20 years now. Originally specialising in punk and hardcore, the small store just off Hansaring now stocks guitar music of all descriptions. Looking for the latest LP by Dry Cleaning or Dinosaur Jr.? You can find them here – even the limited edition in coloured vinyl. As well as vinyl, you can buy concert and festival tickets or seek expert advice from owner Lars “Hoffi” Hoffmann – provided he hasn’t disappeared from view behind one of his countless record boxes!

Krefelder Str. 7–9, 50670 Cologne. Open Tues–Fri from 12 to 7:30 pm and Sat from 11 am to 5 pm

Geisselstr. 14, 50823 Cologne.

Opening hours Mon–Fri from 12 to 7 pm and Sat from 11 am to 6 pm

Ritterstr. 52, 50668 Cologne.

Opening hours Mon–Fri from 11:30 am to 7 pm / Sat from 11 am to 6 pm

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Good to know Text Katja Peglow and Christian Werthschulte

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Photo: Dörthe Boxberg

How can I find out what’s going on?

Independent, informative and, despite having over 40 years under its belt, still very much in tune with the times: Cologne’s Stadtrevue (stadtrevue.de) magazine has stood out on the city’s monopolised press landscape since 1976. A highlight is the daily events calendar that can also be viewed online and covers pretty much all club nights, readings, plays and concerts taking place in the region that day. Visit.koeln, on the other hand, will keep you updated on Cologne’s culinary offer and has detailed tips for shopping and arts and culture. And there’s also a good overview of the city’s museums and current exhibitions on museenkoeln.de. If you prefer your information as listicles, then “Mit Vergnügen“ (koeln. mitvergnuegen.com) has you covered.

“Rausgegangen”, (rausgegangen.de) on the other hand, prides itself on making an informed selection for their audience every day. During the peak of the coronavirus crisis in spring 2020, the site also established itself as a streaming portal for Cologne’s music scene. And if you accidentally leave your copy of this hidden cologne guide at home, we’re also on the internet: hiddencologne.de

We also speak English The English-speaking expat community in Cologne may be smaller than that of Berlin, but it still has a decent choice of activities. Starting with the offer of the city’s cinemas: Metropolis at Ebertplatz (metropolis-koeln.de) only shows films in English (some with subtitles), and Off-Broadway on Zülpicher Strasse makes a big effort to screen films in their original language. Find out which films are showing in which language on the Stadtrevue’s cinema calendar (stadtrevue.de/kino).

You’ll find the best selection of English books at the Mayersche bookstore at Neumarkt. But there’s a better choice of magazines and newspapers at the English Shop (english-shop.de), which also stocks a wide selection of English and American food items, located at An St. Agatha, a side street of the busy Schildergasse.

Check out the English-language website of the Cologne tourism board (cologne-tourism.com) for general information, including some very useful tips in case of a medical emergency. Generally, you’ll easily get by speaking English here — in German schools the subject is compulsory so most people speak it pretty well.

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Good to know

Book tickets in advance In the past, booking your tickets in advance was only a recommendation, but the corona pandemic has made it mandatory. Access to most venues is restricted to people who have purchased their tickets in advance in order to comply with hygiene and vaccination regulations. These are subject to change, so make sure to check the respective websites before you book your ticket. But whether you want to see a sporting event at the Lanxess Arena or take in a classical concert at the Philharmonie, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find the best seats with the city’s regional ticket provider, Kölnticket.

All of its approx. 100 booking offices in Cologne and the surrounding area are listed on the internet under koelnticket. de/vorverkaufsstellen, and of course you can also order online. The central ticket collection point is the somewhat modest-looking box office in the underground tram station at Neumarkt. Concert tickets can also often be purchased directly from the organiser. For example, together with KölnMusik, the Philharmonie has its own booking office at Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz.

Directly opposite Cologne Cathedral, the Cologne tourist information service is your one-stop-shop for all bookings. Plus, they also have a small selection of Cologne-themed gifts.

Admission to museums Most of the big museums in Cologne are run by the city. With the Museumscard (18 euros for one person, 30 euros for two adults and two children), you can enjoy two successive days of free admission.

Students, trainees and handicapped visitor are entitled to the usual discounts, provided they can prove their eligibility.

On the “Langer Donnerstag” (Late-Night Thursday), the first Thursday in the month, anyone whose primary place of residence is Cologne is entitled to free admission to the permanent collection of the municipal museums (with the exception of public holidays). And it’s also interesting for non-locals: from 5 pm, admission to the Museum Ludwig costs just 7 euros for the collection and the special exhibition(s). Extended opening times (until 10 pm), special lectures and guided tours round off the programme. You can also make additional savings if you buy your tickets online: in this case, tickets for the Museum Ludwig double up as a VRS ticket for public transport in and around the city. museenkoeln.de

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Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Getting around Cologne’s different fare zones and tariffs are a minefield. But the most important rule is: if you want to use the city’s public transport network, you’ll need a ticket from the KVB, Cologne’s transport operator. These are available for buses and over and underground trams from the stationary ticket machines or during your journey on the tram itself. But we recommend you always have enough small change with you as the machines accept no notes. For shorter routes, you’ll just need the short-distance “Kurzstrecke” ticket (covering the stop you get on at plus another four), which is also available as a cheaper four-trip ticket that can be used by multiple passengers at the same time. The only cheaper way to get around the city is by renting bikes from the KVB (Nextbike) at a cost of 1 euro for 15 minutes. They require you to register in advance. But if all that sounds too complicated: at the Radstation bicycle rental on Breslauer Platz at the back of the train station, a City-Bike costs 12 euros/day and 10 euros/day from the second day. If you prefer to be driven around, taxis are your best bet. If the yellow sign on the roof is lit, the taxi isn’t occupied and you can flag it down. Or you can hop on one of the ubiquitous electric rental scooters, which don’t exactly have the best reputation among locals because of the fact that they take up so much valuable space on the city’s streets.

How to get to Cologne If you’re arriving by plane, you can choose between two international airports within close proximity. Although Cologne/Bonn Airport, which is just 15 kilometres from the city centre, is a lot smaller than its rival in Düsseldorf, it does have a great claim to fame: it served as the original inspiration for Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports”. Feeling frustrated at being stuck there on a layover for several hours and forced to listen to its banal sounds, he was inspired to come up with something better. Whether the acoustic ambience at the airport has since improved remains to be seen. But at least the transport connections are nothing to grumble about. It takes just 15 minutes to get from Cologne/Bonn Airport to Cologne’s central train station by S-Bahn, the rapid transit railway. For trains, the Thalys is very popular among travellers from Paris or Brussels due to its frequent service. Cologne is also easy to reach from London thanks to the Eurostar connection via Brussels.

kvb-koeln.de

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Surviving in Cologne as a vegan isn’t particularly difficult. As well as the obligatory soy milk, most cafés and lots of ice cream parlours meanwhile have a vegan offer.

We’ve also included some specialist vegan and vegetarian options in our food guide.

The best places to stock up on everyday vegan essentials, from soya drinks to toothpaste, are the branches of organic supermarkets Denn’s, SuperBioMarkt or Alnatura, but you’ll also find a small range of vegan products at many branches of drugstore DM and supermarket Rewe.

COVID-19 in Cologne Despite being a densely populated city with a strong preference for celebrating in public, Cologne has not been hit severely by the coronavirus pandemic so far. But since the virus is probably going to stay with us for a while, it’s useful to have

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

for vegans GoodCologne to know

some information on how COVID-related regulations might impact your stay. Unfortunately, these regulations are changing constantly. The best source for the most current information is the Robert Koch Institute (rki.de), which provides information in German and English and can tell you what rules apply for entering Germany. But since Germany is a federal republic, most regulations are decided individually by each federal state. But don’t despair, the Cologne Tourism Board is on hand to help. Their website (cologne-tourism.com) is always up to date on Cologne’s latest COVID-19 rules and regulations. We also recommend installing Germany’s “Corona-Warn-App” on your Apple or Android smartphone, which is designed to help with testing and tracing and will warn you if you’ve been exposed to infectious people. It also stores your digital vaccine certificate.

Please stay healthy and safe!

Contributors

Management Christoph Ganslmeier, Sandra Renz, Britta Schönefeld, Christian Werthschulte Special editor Hi-Jong Kim Advertising sales Hi-Jong Kim, Michael Meiger, Nina Reisdorf Editors Anja Albert, Christian Werthschulte (liable for editorial content) Photo editors Jennifer Rumbach, Thomas Schäkel Cover photo Dörthe Boxberg Art direction Daniel Poštrak

Change your perspective and see the world from a different angle - immerse into the unknown territory of edgy urbanana.

Stretching from the Ruhr Area to the Rhineland, you find a banana-shaped metropolis with hazy boundaries. Gear up your curiosity and zoom in on Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr.

Hover across the streets and backyards till you find yourself eagerly knocking on the doors of movers and shakers, hunters and collectors and perhaps even new friends. Multi-faceted, free-spirited and unconventional: Join those pioneers in creating unique spaces, experiences and encounters.

Stray away from the well-trodden paths, peek around undiscovered corners (and curves) and start your journey to North Rhine-Westphalia at:

S P O T S , H I G H L I G H T S , FA C E S & C O N T E M P O R A R Y C U LT U R E

2021 / 2022

EUR 5,–

URBAN

NO 5

GUIDE

NO BIRCH LAND

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

Let’s take a walk on Flingern’s vibrant Birkenstraße

Discover Düsseldorf ’s most exciting concept stores, designers and brands

GUIDE

ART

GOING OUT

HIDDEN PORTRAITS

The best addresses and newcomers in town for having lunch, dinner – and a glass or two

A visit at Volker Hermes’ backyard studio in Düsseldorf

DESIGN

FOOD

BETWEEN ART & INTERIOR

EAT MORE CREAM CAKE!

Four Düsseldorfers who are dedicated to unique interiors

The history of the 175 year old Buschmann bakery and confectionary

How the Ruhr Area works Arts, Music, Design and Food

Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Translation Paula Hedley, Ian Winick Photography Dörthe Boxberg, Jennifer Rumbach, Thomas Schäkel Illustration Ibou Gueye Advertising design Elke Schwirtheim Printer Heider Print + Medien GmbH hidden cologne is printed on paper from sustainably managed forests.

Production certificate: ProzessStandard Offsetdruck – ISO 12647 zertifiziert

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MAGAZINE FOR DÜSSELDORF

Stadtrevue Verlag Maastrichter Str. 49, 50672 Cologne, stadtrevue.de Tel +49 (0) 221 95 15 41-0

Texts Anja Albert, Esther Arens, gentle Andreas Flammang, Felix Klopotek, curves Jens Peter Koerver, Marco Kramer, sharp Tim Lesser, Cosima Lorenz, edges Jan Lüke, Anne Meyer, Katja Peglow, Tobias Pastoors, Thomas Riedel, Valeria Scalerandi, Julia Uehren, Christian Werthschulte, Bernd Wilberg

If you want to discover more hotspots and insider tips in North-Rhine Westphalia, we highly recommend you check out the magazines the dorf for Düsseldorf and poly for the Ruhr Area.

Find out more at: hiddencologne.de thedorf.de poly.de nrw-tourism.com/urbanana

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COLOGNE’S MOST FAMOUS HIDDEN PLACE

Tucked away beneath the red brick pavin g stones of Heinrich-Böll-Platz is one of Europe‘s finest concert halls - hosting aroun d 400 concerts every year.

koelner-philharmonie.de 0221 280 280

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Düsseldorf Live close Feel free

The best Japanese desserts?

Our tips for Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Storys – the Visit Düsseldorf blog.

duesseldorf-tourismus.de/storys an initiative of

co-funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

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