The Ballad from Wednesday to Thursday

Incoming Editorial Team·Verified July 2, 2026

During the course of a single night, various people cross paths in the pubs, bars, and hookah lounges of Cologne. The issues that all of Germany is talking about are put on the table: the patriarchy, the Middle East conflict, rising rents, and whether Jesus would still buy everyone drinks today. Political convictions are stiffened by alcohol, and old wounds are reopened.