|
Who We Are
The Große Kölner, or in full Große Kölner Karnevalsgesellschaft e.V. 1882, is one of the traditional Carnival Societies (or Crewes, as our friends in New Orleans call themselves), in the ancient city of Cologne and was founded in 1882.
Our membership exceeds 500 and we consider ourselves as a large family. Although we have activities throughout the year, our peak season is, as we say in the Rhineland, the “Fifth Season”.
The Fifth Season begins each year at eleven minutes past the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month (November 11th). The number 11 has a mystical meaning for Carnival. It represents joy, merrymaking and the acts of jesters or fools. In olden days, the harvesters were always paid on St. Martin’s Day (November 11th), and this too was another reason for much activity, or action as you would say today.
At 11:11 a.m. the people gather at the Alter Markt (the Old Market in Cologne) to welcome in the new season. In the evening, the Carnival Societies hold their first indoor private functions members wear their ornate headgear, made of fabric with very elaborate embroidery and are presented with the new season’s medal, worn around the neck.
Carnival then remains dormant for a few weeks. Christmas and the New Year festivities take over.
On New Year’s Day, however, the volcano erupts. The halls of Cologne are taken over by the Carnival Societies for their Sessions. These Sessions are open to the public and take place throughout January and February. Entry is by ticket only.
On Weiberfastnacht (the Thursday before the beginning of Lent), the Carnival moves outdoors and the Street Carnival begins. Again people (this time mainly women) gather at the Alter Markt (the Old Market) at 11:11 a.m. All are dressed in fancy costumes and have painted faces
The following Sunday the first parade or procession makes its way through the city of Cologne. The participants are delegations from schools, neighbourhood clubs and various societies.
Rosenmontag (the Monday before Lent) is the climax of the Street Carnival. A large and colourful procession, with over a hundred musical bands, huge floats mostly caricaturing local, national or international events/persons, parades its way for several hours through the city streets. On this day, Cologne hosts approximately one millions guest, who come from all over the world to watch the spectacle and enjoy the atmosphere of this special city.
Each year, the Große Kölner participates in this great parade. One of the highlights is our Mounted Corps with over twenty riders of both sexes in their colourful uniforms.
The next day (Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday), the Carnival activities move into the suburbs of Cologne.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, marks the end of Carnival. As in the text of the old song “Am Aschermittwoch ist alles vorbei” everything is over. . .
. . . and we all wait for the beginning of a new Fifth Season in November.
What We Do
The Große Kölner organizes activities for their members of all age-groups throughout the course of the year, in the form of outings, sports events and cultural functions.
Our Senate organizes meetings in our private function room (“Casino”) located in the vaults of the Gürzenich, which houses Cologne’s oldest junketing hall dating back to the Middle Ages.
The horses of the Mounted Corps are stabled on the outskirts of Cologne and exercise once a week all year round. During the summer months they hold horse riding events.
Our Dance Formation team, comprised of young ladies and gentlemen mainly in their twenties, practice both traditional and new dances twice a week in the gym for the later enjoyment of or guests each Season. They have their own homepage: www.grossekoelnerlandsknechte.de .
The head of our society is no longer a President (Captain). We have developed a new form of leadership. Two persons share this responsibility.
Our main function is to play an active role in the Fifth Season. We organize Sessions in ballrooms, a special event for the Young (at heart) called Swinging Fastelovend (similar to a Disco); and, last but not least, we participate in the parade on Rosenmontag (the Monday before Lent) either on foot, on horseback or standing on a float.
You may book tickets for all events by eMail: karten@grossekoelner.de or by letter:
Große Kölner c/o Richard Ganster Schneewittchenweg 1 51067 Köln Germany.
What You Can Do
You may participate in all our indoor/outdoor activities.
Our indoor Carnival Sessions begins early in January. We organize approximately eight Sessions each year.
The early ones (usually in January) require evening dress; the later Sessions (usually in February), are a symphony of colour and everyone is in fancy dress.
A Session lasts for approximately five hours. Sometimes a dinner is included. The programme comprises of songs, witty speeches, and dances, all presented on stage. During some of the songs, especially the well-known traditional songs, people in the audience link their arms and sway to the rhythm of the music, sometimes even standing on their chairs.
In order to really appreciate such an event, one should have a good knowledge of the German language (and preferably of the Cologne dialect, known as Kölsch).
For the outdoor activities however, Street Carnival, it much easier to appreciate. The people of this city feel it is their duty to teach visitors how to behave and react.
|
