• Broadcast on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. on WDR television and from March 6 in the ARD media library
• A special look at one of Cologne’s liveliest streets

Cologne, 17.02.2026. For decades, Keupstraße in Cologne-Mülheim has been a vibrant meeting place for Turkish life and a place where tradition, family stories and cultural diversity become visible. The documentary DIE KEUPSTRASSE – KÖLNS TÜRKISCHES HERZ produced by UFA Documentary for the WDR series “Heimatflimmern” (editors: Ann-Christin Gertzen and Thomas Kamp) paints a vivid portrait of this special street. The film can be seen on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 8:15 pm on WDR television.

Ralf Jühe, Executive Director UFA Documentary, and Thomas Laue, Chief Dramaturg at UFA: “The Keupstraße is one of the most famous streets in Germany. We are grateful that we were able to accompany the people there for several years and thank them for their trust. We were impressed by the way they opened doors for us despite many negative experiences, gave us insights into their world and changed perspectives as a result. The stories of Keupstrasse show us day after day how enriching encounters between different cultures can be. Migration becomes a success story here.”

Originating as a residential and living space for workers at the neighboring Felten & Guilleaume cable factory, Keupstraße developed into a central meeting point for Turkish families in Cologne from the 1960s onwards. Supermarkets, restaurants, cafés and small stores soon shaped a street scene that is still considered the Turkish heart of Cologne today.

The documentary follows people whose stories are closely linked to Keupstraße: Ömer Aldağ, who runs the “Kilim” restaurant and provides insights into the beginnings of his family business. Meral Şahin, whose decoration business shows how women in the neighborhood are forging new career paths. Ayfer Şentürk, who remembers the early years of the street and also difficult moments such as the NSU nail bomb attack in 2004, which shook the neighborhood to its core. And Eko Fresh, for whom Keupstraße was a formative place in his youth and still plays an important role in his artistic work today.

In addition to personal lives, the documentary also shows the special moments of togetherness: for example, the annual breaking of the fast in Ramadan, when Keupstraße is transformed into a large street festival and people from a wide variety of backgrounds sit down together at a long table.

DIE KEUPSTRASSE – KÖLNS TÜRKISCHES HERZ is a film about identity, cohesion and the everyday life of a neighborhood that has overcome many challenges – and is constantly redefining itself in the process.

About UFA DOCUMENTARY

UFA Documentary focuses on different documentary formats such as documentaries, documentary hybrids and serial features. The formats cover a broad spectrum of socially relevant topics – both nationally and internationally. Under the UFA Documentary label, documentaries are produced with excellent dramaturgical editing in the areas of music, sport, crime, nature and politics. Productions such as DIE GROSSE GEO STORY, EXPEDITION ARKTIS, DER GROSSE FAKE – DIE WIRECARD-STORY, LEGENDEN – ROSENSTOLZ, ALL OR NOTHING: DIE NATIONALMANNSCHAFT IN KATAR or ICH BIN! MARGOT FRIEDLÄNDER demonstrate UFA’s expertise in this area. UFA Documentary is a label of UFA.

Contact:
UFA Documentary | Jennifer Stritzke | T +49 221 99 55- 1106 | jennifer.stritzke@ufa.de