Cologne: the city’s new logo heats up
“There will be no subsequent change”
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The city of Cologne removes the cathedral from the logo and thus heats up people’s minds
To update Cologne A song that is often sung in Cologne is “Mer losse d’r Dom en Kölle, denn do jehöt hä hin” (We leave the cathedral in Cologne, because this is where it belongs). But now exactly this dome should disappear from a new logo. The debate about it is excited.
The people of Cologne and their cathedral is a special relationship. The imposing church is sung about in songs, in apartment advertisements “with a view of the cathedral” is considered a quality feature even with the shabby remaining furnishings – and anyone who carelessly pees on the large church at carnival is stamped with the utmost contempt.
Perhaps the love for the cathedral explains the excitement that currently prevails in parts of the city society. The reason: A planned new city logo in which the cathedral is missing. In the old identification mark of the administration, his two were still to be seen – but now no longer spikes. Instead, the new design is limited – in a revised form – to an eagle, the city coat of arms and the lettering “Stadt Köln”.
The city justifies this with the need to overhaul the old brand image. The logo, which is around 20 years old, is very complex, consists of several parts and therefore no longer meets modern requirements – especially in the digital age, in which many people use their smartphone and its increasingly small screen pages to access it. “Out of date, old-fashioned, bulky, unemotional,” says a brand analysis. The logo has now been reduced. The new appearance should be visible by summer.
However, this argument does not work for some social media users and representatives of urban society. Cologne’s cathedral dean Robert Kleine, for example, told Domradio that the city was giving up some of its uniqueness: “I wonder if it’s so good to make the cathedral disappear.” Ex-Mayor Fritz Schramma (CDU) is also on the battlement. In the media, several of them called on the people of Cologne to “resist” the change.
In the city, which is now governed by the non-partisan Henriette Reker, they do not want to move away from the plans. “The change in branding is a done deal,” said a spokesman for the German Press Agency on Wednesday. “This also includes the new logo – there WILL NOT be any subsequent changes.”
You should see the revised brand image in its entirety, i.e. the city. The cathedral spiers would not disappear under any circumstances. If she had new prominence: In future, the cathedral would be clearly visible on all posters, brochures, notices and social media posts, but also more centrally. Christian Boros, head of the responsible agency, told the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”: “If the city makes a social media post, for example, then the sender is the new logo of the administration as a national emblem with the double-headed eagle and without a cathedral pictured. Below is the white notched dome in the red text area. So the cathedral is more part of the content.”
The administration confirmed that there were no religious reasons for moving the main church. “Cologne’s Christian history is still in the logo – in the form of our city coat of arms,” said the spokesman. In it, the three crowns appeared, reminiscent of the Three Kings. Conclusion: “It could hardly be more Christian.”
The psychologist and bestselling author Stephan Grünewald (“How does Germany tick?”) can still guess why there is latent excitement. After all, the unofficial Cologne anthem is called “Mer losse d’r Dom en Kölle, denn do jehöt hä hin” (We leave the cathedral in Cologne, because this is where it belongs) – a song by the Bläck Fööss. “The Bläck Fööss warned centuries ago against driving the Dom Schindluder,” said Grünewald of the dpa. Since its completion, it has been one of the most important landmarks.
“The people of Cologne have two souls: A coffee bud soul that relies on conviviality. And a metropolitan soul that is big,” says the psychologist. “In Cologne, it’s always about size and conviviality.” And the cathedral represents that, despite all the coziness, something important can develop in Cologne over a longer period of time.
In addition, one must not forget the current world situation. There is war in Ukraine. “The world is upside down, nothing lasts anymore. But the cathedral is an occidental signal. If he is to be eliminated now, the current situation plays a role,” he said. “It fuels outrage.”