Fun is not a word that regularly comes to mind in this country, particularly in the leaden grip of a German winter. But Cologne, with its art galleries, theaters, nightclubs and television studios, can reasonably lay claim to the title of Germany's fun city. The merriment peaks during the carnival season, which reels to a close next week when this ancient Roman city on the Rhine gives itself over to a bacchanalian display of parades, street festivals, and public drunkenness that makes Munich's Oktoberfest look like a garden party.
With high jinks so much a part of Cologne's image, it's little surprise that many locals are howling about a new tax the city is levying on all sorts of amusements -- from pop concerts and discos to the sex trade. But if you have a deficit, you don't have a lot of choices to raise income.
Still, Cologne is drawing distinctions. While the tax applies to plays and concerts in the form of a 3. They warned it would bankrupt small cultural institutions. Now, Cologne may roll back the tax on big events, because critics say it will drive away international pop stars. With its roots in the Middle Ages, when winter-weary people cut loose before the self-denial of Lent, the carnival is considered too much a part of Cologne's history to be taxed, according to Mr.
Never mind that the city's sex trade goes back at least that long. To many here, Cologne's move looks suspiciously like a sex tax. And an unjust one at that, since prostitutes note that the city is imposing it on them, not on the men who patronize their services.
Prostitution is both legal and regulated in Germany. Prostitutes are required to register with the local heath authorities, which offer health checkups.
