Carnival in Cologne: Uniwiese remains controversial alternative area!

Carnival in Cologne: Uniwiese remains controversial alternative area!

Uniwiese, Köln, Deutschland - In Cologne, the Uniwiese will be used again as an alternative area in the upcoming carnival sessons. The nature conservation advisory board of the Lower Nature Conservation Authority gave the green light on Monday evening for the plans that were developed from the point of view of the danger defense. According to [ksta.de] (https://www.ksta.de/koeln/karneval-in-koeln/karneval-in-koeln-nature advisory board, the city has already announced the area on November 11, 2025 and in the street carnival 2026 in a reduced form.

The Uniwiese, which is located in the landscape protection area "Inner Green Green", was released by the Federal Nature Conservation Act. The lawn on the parts used is protected by special cover plates to avoid long -term damage. It is clearly appealed to the celebrations that lingering or celebrating on the meadow is not intended, and also dispensing with alcohol and music sound.

a search without success

Despite the city's intensive efforts to find alternatives to the Uniwiese, the search has so far been unsuccessful. According to the information from [stadt-koeln.de] (https://www.stadt-koeln.de/politik-und-verwaltung/presse/mitteungen/27681/index.html), the area was decided to significantly reduce the area in view of the sunken rush in the Zülpicher district. The administration sees partial use as the safest and most practical solution to avoid penetration into the landscape protection area.

The BUND environmental association reacted critically to the decision. The risk of damage in the landscape protection area is particularly annoying. According to the carnival activities last year, permanent damage to the Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park and the Aachener Weiher were documented, as [bund-koeln.de] (https://www.bund-koeln.de/service/mistungen/detail/news/sflicht-mit-auichflaechen-im- Landscape Protection Area-zu-karneval/). The federal government calls for a legally correct procedure for approval of the events and announces possible legal steps if the city continues to use the Uniwiese for carnival events.

a strong word from politics

In a council meeting on July 3, a number of council members asked the administration to look for alternatives to the uniwiese again. Mayor Henriette Reker, on the other hand, emphasized that in recent years it has already been intensively searched for suitable areas, but none have been found. This means that the Uniwiese remains a central point for planning the carnival celebrations, even if the conditions have become significantly stricter in view of the nature conservation requirements.

The topic remains exciting, because the federal government observes the developments closely and wants to achieve a relief of the Zülpicher district through alternative venues. Until this happens, it remains to be seen how urban communication will be designed in the next few days and whether there is actually a rethink in the use of the area.