Marie-Luise-Nikuta-Platz: Cologne honors the carnival icon!

Marie-Luise-Nikuta-Platz: Cologne honors the carnival icon!

On October 14, 2025, a new square was inaugurated in Cologne called “Marie-Luise-Nikuta-Platz”. The celebrations took place at Rudolfplatz and were an emotional tribute to one of the most famous personalities of the Cologne Carnival. Christoph Kuckelkorn, President of the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee, honored Nikuta as the bearer of the “sound, wit and soul of Cologne” and spoke of her unmistakable connection to the city.

District mayor Andreas Hupke unveiled the new street sign and reported that the city center district council unanimously decided in June to name the square after Nikuta. This was the most difficult undertaking of his 20 years in office. The application for the naming originally came from the singer's circle of friends and was submitted as a citizen's submission in 2023. Nikuta, who died in 2020, was a celebrated composer and singer whose theme songs are widely performed at the Cologne Carnival.

A life for carnival

Marie-Luise Nikuta, born on July 25, 1938 in Cologne-Nippes, left behind a great legacy of Cologne music. With her iconic songs such as “E Paar Grosche för Ihs” and “Weiste wat, mer fahre met d’r Stroßebahn noh hus” she had an unmistakable influence on the carnival. In her more than five decades in the music business, she composed and sang over 160 carnival songs and was celebrated as the “Queen of the Theme Song”. Their lyrics were catchy and their melodies quickly became catchy tunes, as Kuckelkorn emphasized at the inauguration.

In 1974 she performed at the Steuben Parade in New York City and also performed at the Carnival in Namibia, which gave further dimensions to her commitment to the traditional Carnival. Nikuta was not only creative, but also a support for the queer community in Cologne: She promoted the homosexual carnival society “Stattgarde Colonia Ahoj,” as André Schulze Isfort, president of the circle of friends, emphasized.

Unification and commemoration

An important aspect of the naming of the square is the connections to important places in Cologne. Marie-Luise-Nikuta-Platz is in close proximity to the Rudolfplatz tram stop, which is reminiscent of her famous “tram song”. In addition, the location close to Hahnentorburg, the seat of the guard of honor, and Schaafenstrasse, a hotspot for gay and lesbian life, is indicative of the diverse aspects of their life and work. An installation with information steles in the green area is also planned for 2024, which will commemorate Nikuta's life and work.

Nikuta's daughter, Andrea Nikuta-Meerloo, also took part in the inauguration and thanked her for honoring the place, which is seen as a sign of appreciation and memory of the artist. It's not just about creating music, but also about the values ​​and passion that Nikuta stood for and embodied in her life.

The celebrations at Marie-Luise-Nikuta-Platz are an impressive testimony to the love and respect that the people of Cologne have for their “motto queen”. With this honor, the city of Cologne shows that the tradition of carnival remains alive and the personalities who contributed to it will not be forgotten.

For further information about Nikuta's concert events and their influence on Cologne culture, those interested can find out more about her life on the Wikipedia page or the reporting from Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.