By Mahshid Hager
I grew up in Köln (known as Cologne in English), Germany. I always say I spent my “formative” years there. My family arrived in Köln in the Summer of 1982, I was 11 years old and had just finished elementary school. I left Köln for college and the United States in December of 1991. So this unassuming, sometimes artsy and always corky city in Germany encompasses all of the experiences of my teen-years. I spent less that a third of my life in this city but it’s influence on me is undeniable. I have moved almost 5000 miles away, but I can tell you that I am still a Kölsche Mädche (Cologne Girl) at heart!
Life in Köln wasn’t always easy. It was the first place after Iran that my family really tried to rebuild a home. We faced many challenges as newcomers. But my parents never gave up. They worked hard, as they always did. They instilled in me and in my sisters this idea, that if you work hard for what you envision and if you do so while being a good citizen and kind neighbor, then there is no goal you can’t reach. So Köln eventually did become home and still is to my family members living there.
The “kölsche vibe” is so much a part of me, I thought it was appropriate to share my love of this beautiful city with you. Cologne is not an obvious beauty among European cities. Not the way Paris or Barcelona are; it’s beauty is more of an acquired taste. Cologne was heavily bombed during World War II and despite efforts to restore many of its historical buildings, the new architecture makes for an interesting mix and match landscape.
The most famous landmark of course, is the Cathedral, the Kölner Dom. It is the first “church” I ever sat foot in. You can understand my disappointment with all follow up churches! Nothing quiet compares. These days when I travel home, I usually arrive in the city by train, and the sight of the Dom Towers is my visceral indication that I have arrived home. I have so many memories here. I remember the countless times I have climbed the 533 steps to the top, including the time a secret admirer sent me on a scavenger hunt that ended with me at the top of the south tower to retrieve a single red rose! So romantic! 🙂
The Dom is the background to many events in the city. I have celebrated the ringing in of the New Year many times out on the platform right in front of the main entrance. The annual Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) takes place in the shadow of the towers as well. The “M” shaped towers have been part of my navigation strategy for so long, their absence was really disorienting at first when I moved to San Diego. The city’s main train station is also right next to the Dom. It has been the sight of many goodbyes and reunions.
I think my favorite thing about Cologne is it’s people. They are warm and welcoming. They speak the Kölsch dialect which is softer and deeper and throatier than standard German. It feels like warm milk with honey, to me anyway. I don’t know how else to describe it. You can express things in Kölsch that you can’t otherwise in German. It creates a bond between the people who speak it and you can’t help but feel like you’re part of a “special” group. Shortly after I moved to San Diego, I was out at restaurant, sitting at the bar I heard the woman next to me speak with the bartender. I picked up that her accent was German. But I also heard something else, something familiar. I asked her where she was from and when she said “Cologne, Germany”, I was almost in tears… Kölsch is also the only language you can drink!
Which brings me to my next favorite thing about Cologne: the beer! Cologne is home to twenty something breweries who brew Kölsch beer, a fermented, golden pale ale, so delicious that it’s impossible to have just one. I love absolutely everything that goes along with the beer culture in Cologne; from the way it’s served in a stange glass, to the way each brewery takes pride in their special brand of Kölsch, and the Beer Gartens in the summer, filled with beer drinkers, happy to finally be out in the sun. I was a beer drinker while I lived in Germany (the legal beer drinking age in Germany is 16), but I stopped after I moved to the US. I couldn’t find a beer that was as satisfying or as tasty. These days I’m more of a wine drinker but every now and then I will indulge in going out to Tip Top Meets in Carlsbad and buying a bottle or two of Früh Kölsch and enjoying it in my backyard…. Cheers to old times.
There are so many things I miss about Cologne. I miss the coffee shops and the tiny alleys, paved with cobblestones in Alt Stadt (Old Town), along the Rhein River. I miss the first days of sunshine after a long winter and the way Stadtgarten gets sprinkled with people on blankets or towels, soaking up the first warm days of the new season. I miss the hustle and excitement of carnival in Cologne and how on the first day of the celebration, the whole town seems to have a good buzz going by noon. I miss watching FC Köln playing soccer at the stadium and cheering and belting out the Team Song with everyone else. Most of all, I miss my family so much, it hurts sometimes.
Köln is second place I ever called home. It’s the place that held all of my teenage angst, where I kissed a boy for the very first time, fell in love and broke my heart for the first time as well. It’s the scene of my first live concert and where I saw and waved “hello” at Michael Jackson and he waved and said “hello” back! It’s where I learned to drive my own car and the place where I learned about life long friendships. It’s where my Mom and sisters still live, where my little nephew is growing up and where my dad lays buried. For these reasons and many more Köln will always be home to me, no matter how long I’ve lived anywhere else.
Besides….it’s so much better there than Düsseldorf! 😉
Prost!
If you want to know more about Cologne, Anthony Bourdain did an episode about the city on Parts Unknown.
I didn’t even tell you about Kölner Karneval! Check it out!
Tell me about your love of your home town. Do you still live there? Do you visit? What makes it special or unique? I want to hear about it. Please share! 🙂
