Thilo Gosejohann: “I like the villagey vibe in Cologne”

We meet Thilo Gosejohann on Lenauplatz in Cologne’s Ehrenfeld neighbourhood. Grandiose townhouses and lime trees line the square. A former cinema on the northeast side now houses a supermarket. There’s a table-tennis table, a fountain, a kiosk and a few benches. As part of a redevelopment in 2010, they also created a flat area for people to play boules, which almost lends a Mediterranean feel to the square. “Lenauplatz is a bit like a village square. You always find someone here to chat to. It’s very laid-back,” says Thilo.

You always find someone here to chat to. It’s very laid-back.

Thilo Gosejohann

Thilo came to Cologne in 2004 having studied in Dortmund to become a cameraman. His first home in Cologne was in Ehrenfeld and he still lives there today. A friend of his was moving out when he arrived so he moved in. And that turned out to be a stroke of luck because he feels right at home in this part of the city. “Ehrenfeld has lots of lovely little places,” he says, in raptures as he tells us about Eiscafé Liliana on Simarplatz, where they still make the scrumptious ice cream themselves. For breakfast, he sometimes goes to Wallczka on Subbelrather Straße.

From underground to mainstream

Thilo’s younger brother, Simon Gosejohann is an actor, presenter and comic, well-known to TV audiences beyond the borders of Cologne but you’re more likely to find Thilo behind the camera. He’s made a whole series of trash films since 1990, featuring his brother and numerous friends in acting roles. His first taste of fame came in 1998 with the release of his superhero parody “Captain Cosmotic”. A 90-minute, feature-length movie, it was shown in a number of cinemas and on the VIVA Zwei TV channel. As Thilo was responsible for the editing, script, camera work, production and directing, he managed to make the whole thing on a budget of just 1,800 deutschmarks.

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Comedy – Thilo’s speciality

Today, he’s the director of TV series such as “LOL: Last one laughing” and for VTs for Heute-Show (similar to “The Daily Show”) as well as hosting a podcast with his brother Simon, which they started in 2019.

A sociable guy in a sociable neighbourhood

“I’m quite a sociable kind of guy,” says Thilo of himself. “I like the villagey vibe in Cologne. I know the people who work in the local shops.” Having grown up in a small community himself, he’s remained a fan of them at heart. He does like visiting Hamburg or Berlin, where he has friends, but he loves the village-like character of Cologne’s different neighbourhoods. “And,” he says, “if you do feel the need to seek out something more urban, you just head over to Venloer Straße – it’s got everything!”