Carnival in uniform: Cologne's Rote Funken
They are Cologne's oldest carnival association, founded in 1823. Called the Rote Funken, their name also refers to the red and white uniforms reminiscent of old Cologne city soldiers up until 1794.
The show is about to begin...
A sea of red and white: Hundreds of men stand around in their uniforms, geared up and anticipating the five-hour Carnival show that is about to begin. Their performance includes skits and music that poke fun at events that have occurred throughout the year.
Like father, like son
The "Funkepänz" (Funken children in the Cologne dialect) play an important role in the club. After all, they are the next generation to celebrate Cologne's Carnival. So boys and girls, nearly from the time they start walking, get their gear in order and are allowed up on stage during the big Carnival "Sitzungen," or shows. Here, young Thomas is ready to go on stage with his father, Pascal.
Everyone does the 'Stippefott'
It looks ridiculous, and it is. The "Stippefott" is a little dance move that basically means pretending to rub bottoms together with a partner. It's meant to be a mockery of the former Prussian occupiers of Cologne, and even little kids know how to do it. But people don't actually touch one another.
Dream couple: Funkemariechen and Tanzoffizier
It may conjure up "Dirty Dancing," but it's just a number of the leading dance couple, the female "Funkemariechen" and her male counterpart, the "Tanzoffizier," or dance officer. This year, it's Judith Gerwig and Pascal Solscheid. They've trained throughout the year, and will perform some 70 times during Carnival. The Funkemariechen is the sole female representative of the Rote Funken club.
The only 'Funkin': Henriette Reker
No woman can ever become a Rote Funken member. Never? Well, that's not not quite right: Cologne's mayors automatically become honorary members of the city's traditional Carnival societies, and even stand above the club president. In 2016, for the first time in the history of the Rote Funken, a woman was allowed into the association. Henriette Reker became Cologne's Lord Mayor in October 2015.
The President
Heinz Günther Hunold has been president of the Rote Funken since 2001 and loves his (honorary) job. In addition to representing the club by attending events, he ensures the association is run properly.
Collecting for a good cause
Rote Funken Guido, Kian and Paul are in a good mood as they head toward Cologne's busiest shopping street near the Cologne Cathedral. The club doesn't just celebrate Carnival, it's also involved in charities, like collecting donations for homeless women. Even cloudy weather in February didn't get the boys down. Once their donation can was full, they went for a Cologne beer called "Kölsch."