Dear all, 

As many of us are celebrating the beginning of the New Year, we will keep this week’s newsletter brief and appropriately celebratory. The holidays can be a great opportunity to take a little breather and forget about approaching deadlines at least for a few days. The ›Hohenzollernbrücke‹, which connects this week’s Cologne Curiosity, the »Schäl Sick«, with the rest of the city is also a great spot to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

CC: Locals jokingly call the part of Cologne right of the river Rhine the »Schäl Sick«, meaning the wrong or odd side in the Cologne dialect ›Kölsch‹. The left side of town is generally considered to be the heart of the city. The historic city centre, busiest shopping streets, and the University, where most of the IFTR2025 conference will be taking place, are located there. So, you might want to keep that in mind when looking for accommodations. But the »Schäl Sick« does certainly have many perks: Hotels are usually a little cheaper and the campus is just a train-ride away with a beautiful view over the river Rhine. Moreover, as the famous cologne carnival band Bläck Fööss sings, »Ohne Dich es Kölle nur de Hälfte wäät« (›Without you Cologne would only be half as good‹). 

FOW: Our Fool of the Week features Basil Crage's design of a ›champagne cannon‹ for Hugo Baruch & Cie. It is modeled on a champagne bottle but instead of a cannonball, an oversized cork shoots out, bringing confetti to light. While the cannon could still be part of a revue or a parade today, it can also symbolize a New Year's celebration, as intoxication is still part of festivities for many people. The little cannoneers use effervescent quality of Champagne as an invitation to revelers to raise their glasses not their armaments. May the corks pop for you too and here's to a happy 2025! (Tobias Pöller)

Alaaf - meaning as much as au fou de partout, to fools everywhere, we greet you and wish you a happy new year!

Charlene Fündgens
for the Cologne Team