"Perhaps we must finally learn to truly understand that the fabric of our civilization itself is woven from fire and smoke." (WG Sebald) It all begins at an altitude of 4,000 meters: A stream of US bombers, 600 meters wide and 30 kilometers long, moves toward a German city. Below, bombs fall, along with the parachutes of a bomber crew, low-flying aircraft, and flak towers. Far below, houses and streets where staggering people are "grilled" in boiling tar. Air-raid shelters, cellars, chaos—an unimaginable horror scenario. A mother searches for her son, who has already met his death as an anti-aircraft gunner; a young woman is buried alive with a stranger and raped by him beneath the rubble. Gert Ledig's novel REVENGE takes a cold and unsentimental look at the destructive violence of an Allied air raid in July 1944. The city in question remains nameless—but could well be Cologne. Here, too, after the night of May 30-31, 1942, only the cathedral stood amidst a vast landscape of rubble. The book was published in 1956, long after Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass had begun depicting the postwar reality of West Germany. It was soon forgotten. To this day, the trauma of the air raids remains largely unaddressed, while the haphazard postwar architecture of city centers continues to silently bear witness to the horrors of that time. Director Sebastian Baumgarten stages Ledig's defiant challenge to warmongering rhetoric of "fatherland, heroism, tradition, faith, and honor" as a world premiere for the Schauspiel Köln (Cologne Theatre).

retribution

Carlswerk

If urban planning were a concert, what would the livable city of the future sound like? How does one sing of "bridge renovation" and "transformation," how does one intone "shading strategy"? And which voices herald ecological change? We speak with people from the construction industry and urban development, with economists, futurologists, and activists about the existing plans for a sustainable Cologne—and about the resistance they encounter. From these firsthand accounts emerges a music theater piece by Cologne residents for Cologne, a vocal concert for three actresses, two Cologne choirs, and a city of the future. "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one to come," says Johannes Brahms in his "Requiem," which, sung by the Cologne Cathedral Choir, resonates from the crumbling city walls. Director Anna-Sophie Mahler specializes in weaving together research material and music. She became known for her production of "Mittelreich" at the Munich Kammerspiele, which was invited to the Berlin Theatertreffen in 2016. Most recently, her production of Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real" at the Volkstheater Wien, featuring the band Calexico live on stage, was a resounding success.

Requiem for a dilapidated bridge

Kolumba

The Corona pandemic triggers a crisis for ensemble member Claude De Demo: she has no childcare, she's afraid, and she has too little time. Suddenly, feelings arise that a mother—according to stereotypical roles—shouldn't have. On the contrary, she thinks: I'm an unhappy mother—even though I love my children. With this comes the doubt: Am I not woman enough? Am I not human enough? Overwhelmed, stagnant, and exhausted, she feels the need to present a more realistic picture of motherhood, far removed from the idealized image of homemade jam and lullabies. With #MOTHERFUCKINGHOOD, she and director Jorinde Dröse bring to the stage all those perceptions and injustices that are so often ignored, that find no place in the image of the eternally patient, self-sacrificing mother. Based on intensive research, conversations with academics, and texts by various authors, a collage about motherhood, care work, and the persistent feelings of guilt and anger has emerged. It's about the reality of the gender pay gap, mental load, childcare places and the "maternal instinct", as well as the question: If the truth about motherhood is on the table, how many women will still choose it voluntarily?

Michael Frank

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 24 - May 27, 2026

retribution · Bühnen Köln

19 - 21 May, 2026

Requiem for a dilapidated bridge · Bühnen Köln

May 25, 2026

#Motherfuckinghood · Bühnen Köln

About

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