Klein Köln
Kölns erste Kneipe mit Nachtlizenz: Das Klein Köln wurde zum Treffpunkt von Boxern und ihren Fans aus der Halbwelt – die „Mutter aller kölschen Milieukneipen“.
Das Klein Köln ist eine Kneipe mit Milieu-Vergangenheit. Linus Geschke nannte sie im „Spiegel“ „die Mutter aller kölschen Milieukneipen“.
Auf einen Blick
- Type
- Pub
- Location
- near Friesenplatz
- District
- Altstadt-Nord, Innenstadt borough
- Opened
- 1926
- Distinction
- first pub in Cologne with a night licence
- Neighbour
- Sartory-Säle
The Klein Köln pub was home to "FC Johnny", a football team made up of Cologne pimps, burglars and fences, which played against similarly composed teams from other cities and held weekly night-time meetings at the pub.
Night licence, boxing and the underworld
Klein Köln was the first pub in Cologne to receive a night licence. In later years, boxers and their followers from Cologne's underworld met here. At times, the official weigh-ins before big fights in the neighbouring Sartory-Säle were held on the premises. Guests included René Weller, Heiner Lauterbach, Diether Krebs and Richard Rogler.
„Beckers Schmal“ and FC Johnny
The former landlord Dieter Becker, who died in 1989, was once a boxer himself. Because of his size, he was nicknamed „Beckers Schmal“ (Becker the Slim). Young pimps saw him as a kind of father figure. For a time he ran „FC Johnny“, a football team whose players were Cologne pimps, burglars and fences. The team played against similarly composed sides from other cities and met weekly for late-night sessions at Klein Köln.
Klein Köln today
Heinz Rockstroh is now the landlord. The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger describes the crowd mainly as „very young night owls and veterans aged 50 and over“.
Timeline
- 1926Klein Köln opens; first Cologne pub to receive a night license
- 1989Death of former landlord Dieter Becker
Map
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official website (retrieved 2026-10-13)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-10-13)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-10-13, rev 262550108)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-10-13
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