Dear IFTR, 

Starting today, you can check out the draft schedule on our website and the IFTR site to see when all the sessions will be happening. While we, the NSF subcommittee and the WG convenors are busy behind the scenes planning all the exciting panels, feel free to reach out to the respective persons in charge if you’ve got any questions. In the meantime, you can register and take advantage of the Early Bird rate (until 30 April) and continue planning your trip.
Calling all New Scholars!
Here’s a fun tradition: All Early Career Scholars kick things off with a chill meet-up on the Sunday before the conference. This year, we’re heading to the CircusDance-Festival together - the more the merrier.

Speaking of Sunday, here’s a quick reminder: Sunday and Monday of our conference are public holidays in Germany. That means many shops will be closed, but most restaurants will be open (perhaps you already read about the shopping opportunities on public holidays in the last newsletter, which we had hidden as a Cologne Curiosity). Don’t worry though – we’re putting together a handy list to help you navigate the city like a pro. You’ll find it online soon, so stay tuned!

FOW: On the ship, nine bizarre and eccentric masked figures are traveling, while Till Eulenspiegel dressed in red climbs the mast. The sea is simulated by set pieces reminiscent of Baroque theater decorations. The entire setup used to be a decoration for a television studio and was originally more than 10 meters long. The mast is cropped at the top because the studio ceiling was not high enough. The metaphor of the Narrenschiff (Ship of Fools) carries great subversive potential, as its passengers are sailing—not in a system-stabilizing manner—but toward an imaginary land called »Narragonia« However, on this vessel of foolishness, death also travels—the one who abruptly ends all the merriment of carnival and any crossing of boundaries, because death himself is the last boundary, we all face. (Gerald Köhler) 

CC: Germany’s national sport is undoubtedly football. Of course, Cologne is not spared by this. Cologne’s team is the 1. FC Köln with a logo featuring not only the Cologne cathedral but also the team’s mascot, a billy goat. This is the part where Cologne – as usual - differs from the rest of Germany’s football teams.  The goat »Hennes« is an actual living goat. The first mascot, Hennes I., was gifted to the team as a joke during Carnival of 1950. Since then, if one billy goat dies or ›retires‹, another one follows. The current mascot is Hennes XI. If you don’t follow football, you might find liking in Cologne’s ice hockey team, the Cologne Sharks (Kölner Haie). Each match in Cologne, the mascot Sharky is delivering a break-dance performance. Unfortunately, this time it is not a real shark. (Anastasia Pütz)

To everyone celebrating Nowruz, we wish you a wonderful and joyful new year!
To everyone else: Alaaf – meaning as much as au fou de partout, to fools everywhere, we greet you!

Kind regards, 

Anna-Lu Rausch
on behalf of the Cologne Team