Everyone knows them, everyone has them: Things that have a special value among the many things that have accumulated over time. Professor Dr Sanjay Mathur, Chair of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, on his culture shock during Carnival in Cologne.
It wasn’t long after I arrived in Cologne before I got my first taste of Rhenish cheerfulness... True natives of Cologne have their own law: Cologne’s Basic Law (das Kölsche Grundgesetz). One of them is: “Wat fott es, es fott!”, which means something like “there’s no use crying over spilt milk”. The true meaning of this article hit me for the first time at my inaugural Weiberfastnacht, or Fat Thursday, in 2009, when – much to my surprise – scissor-wielding female staff members boldly attacked my tie.
I’m originally from India, but before moving to Cologne I had spent a long time working in Saarbrücken and Würzburg and thought I was already familiar with Germany’s various regional customs and quirks. However, this had not prepared me for Weiberfastnacht in Cologne. During my time at the Institute for New Materials (INM) in Saarbrücken, a professional appearance with a suit and tie was common. So I’m sure everyone noticed my utter disbelief when a staff member ‘attacked’ my tie for the first time – earning cheers and applause from the entire team.
This was the start of a tradition that has been enthusiastically celebrated in my working group for 17 years now. The annually growing collection of stylishly sacrificed ties in our tea kitchen has become a highlight of every visitor tour in my working group, often providing anecdotes that are especially popular with international guests.
As the father of two Cologne-born boys, I have also come to experience the city’s way of life within my own family. Occasionally, the idea of moving to another city for work came up, but I was quickly outvoted. For my sons, in particular, there was simply no other place than Cologne.
While I usually guide my students and doctoral candidates on their journeys, this time it was they who initiated me into the secrets of the Cologne way of life. Mentoring is not a one-way street! The Cologne Carnival has always left a lasting impression on both the staff and guests of my department, forging a long-standing bond with the university and the city.
True to the motto ‘Et kütt wie et kütt’ (What will be, will be – another local legal stipulation), I will be wearing a tie for the upcoming Weiberfastnacht – after all, ‘Et hätt noch emmer joot jejange’ – look that up for yourself!