Willi-Ostermann-Gesellschaft Köln e.V. 1967
Dedicated to honoring the legacy of Cologne's beloved carnival poet and songwriter Willi Ostermann, this society fosters Kölsch song tradition and runs the annual Willi-Ostermann-Gedenkfeier in the Altstadt.
Kölner Karnevalsgesellschaft: session order, uniforms, and Rosenmontag participation wrapped around a permanent society club life.
External page. Check current meetings, membership, and joining details directly with the group.
Other cologne karneval societies
The 'Red Sparks'. Cologne's oldest and most iconic Traditionskorps, modeled on the historic red-coated city soldiers (Kölner Stadtsoldaten) disbanded by the French in 1794. They marched in the very first Rosenmontag parade in 1823 and remain a defining symbol of Kölsche Fastelovend.
Cologne's very first carnival society and the 'mother of all Karnevalsgesellschaften'. Founded the same year as the first Rosenmontagszug, it organized the early carnival reforms; members wear elegant black-and-white tails rather than a military uniform.
The 'Blue Sparks'. Cologne's traditional carnival artillery corps, evoking the Prussian-era artillery uniforms. One of the four original Traditionskorps and a perennial fixture of the Rosenmontagszug with its own cannon.
The 'Honour Guard of the City of Cologne'. Official escort to the Lord Mayor during carnival. Their distinctive green-and-yellow uniforms have earned them the affectionate nickname 'Spinat mit Ei' (spinach with egg).
The 'Nippes Citizens' Militia'. Instantly recognizable by their luminous orange uniforms, which earned them the nickname 'Apfelsinenfunken' (orange-Funken). Rooted in the working-class northern district of Nippes.
The major carnival society of right-bank Mülheim, founded in the then-independent town in 1903 (out of the earlier 'Ulk' society from 1894). Its in-house dance corps, the Rheinmatrosen (formerly Müllemer Schefferjunge), is one of the most respected in the city.