Navid Kermani criticizes cultural decline in Cologne

Author Navid Kermani has released a new book, ‘Köln. E Jeföhl’, dedicated to his adopted home of Cologne. In the work, Kermani criticizes what he describes as the ‘Verballermannisierung’ (party-centric transformation) of the city.

Kermani argues that local leadership has prioritized turning Cologne into an ‘event city’ and a German party metropolis rather than maintaining its status as a cultural hub. He notes that while the city once attracted artists and musicians internationally, it has lost this prestige. He attributes this decline to both the rise of Berlin as a cultural center and local mismanagement, citing the collapse of the city archives and the prolonged, costly renovations of the opera house and Schauspielhaus as evidence of long-term neglect.

Kermani further observes that a ‘culture of uninhibitedness’ has spread beyond the traditional Carnival celebrations, and expresses concern that culture has failed to play a significant role in recent local election campaigns.