New signs: Guido Cantz mocks about Cologne playground by name

The plans for renaming playgrounds in Cologne to “play and action areas” initiated the moderator and comedian Guido Cantz for a general statement with his hometown. “Congratulations, now Cologne is also officially the capital of the crazy people,” said the 53-year-old of the German Press Agency. Many people in Germany would surely wonder whether there would be a carnival again – or whether Cologne only wanted to fill the summer hole. “Even as a comedian for my new comedy program, I could never have come up with something like that” strange times “,” said Cantz.

The well -known moderator reacted to a debate that has been broadly run since Wednesday, which is not only conducted in Cologne with a mixture of astonishment, anger and occasionally understanding.

Youth committee: Signs no longer up to date

The urban administration had presented a new design for the signs at the more than 700 playgrounds in Cologne. The word “playground” was dispensed with – one wanted “to” take into account the diversity of users in the context of their age, their cultural backgrounds and possible disabilities “, it was said. The playground is a “narrowing term”. The new signs should be overwritten with “play and action space”.

The background is a decision in the city’s youth welfare committee for almost two years. There it had come to the conclusion that the outdated signage suggested that playgrounds should not be used by young people. This leads to conflicts. Playgrounds are there for both children and young people.

After the plans became known, Cologne’s mayor Henriette Reker (non -party) switched on to the process and went at a distance from the urban administration. She personally finds the term “playground” clear and understandable, she said. At the same time, Reker made the sign exchange in a decision in the Cologne city council. The committee should advise on September 4 and make a decision.