Cologne in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, Cologne was known as a European trading
metropolis, art metropolis, metropolis of the ecclesiastical
province of Cologne and archbishop's seat, free imperial city and
pilgrimage city.
Probably from the 2nd century on a
Christian community existed in Cologne , and the town is first
mentioned as a bishopric in 313 AD.
Charlemagne made it an archbishopric in the late 8th century.
More and more the city was dominated by the the archbishop and in
the 10th century a wide range of tolls, customs duties, and other
payments had to be made to him. There were increasingly conflicts
between the wealthy merchants who fought for commercial and
political freedom and the archbishop. From the 13th century the
archbishop became one of the electors privileged to choose the
German king. It was not until the Battle of Worringen, in 1288, that
the archbishop was finally defeated, and the city of Cologne secured
full self-government.
Now the city turned into a free imperial city, although it was
only officially recognized as such in 1475.
The wealthy
patricians ruled the city until the end of the 14th century. In 1396
a revolution occurred which changed the city constitution.
Now the 22 guilds formed the government by electing a council which
then exercised power.
Medieval Cologne around 455 AD- around 1500 AD - Part I
listen to medieval song
An Exploration of a Medieval CityCologne - praetoriumPilgrim (archbishop of Cologne)
Streets of Cologne
Medieval City Wall
Fashion in the Middle Ages
Walking through Cities of Europe in 700 AD
In the Middle Ages there were various city names, such as Coellen or
Coelln (on the Rhine) or in Latin mostly Colonia Agrippina (or
Agrippina Nobilis Romanorum Colonia).
For a long time Cologne
was the largest city north of the Alps in terms of area and
population and until the end of the late Middle Ages it was the city
with the most inhabitants in the Roman-German Empire.
Constantine the Great built a castle and a permanent bridge to it
across the Rhine in 310 AD.
Ceramics and glass were manufactured.
Watch early medieval glass workshop and trade at the Cologne
Harbour.
Cologne was conquered by the Franks around 456 AD,
and became the residence of the kings of the Ripuarian part of the
Frankish kingdom.
Cologne really flourished in the Middle Ages.
It developed into an important part of the Hanseatic League, with
Cologne merchants said to have the most extensive contacts and the
most diverse trades of all cities in Germany.Enamelling and
metalworking, textile manufacturing, book manufacturing and leather
processing were all represented in the city. Art and religion were
very important.
Medieval Cologne around 455 AD- around 1500 AD - Part II
The greatest Roman Catholic scholars and theologians of medieval
scholasticism, such as Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas and John Duns
Scotus, taught at Cologne schools.
The city's population
increased massively. While around 25,000 people lived in the city in
1180, by 1600 there were already 40,000. Cologne was thus as big as
Prague and was one of the largest cities in the empire.
The
history of the city has been archived since 1130. Cologne had the
first town hall and the first civic university in 1388.
The
Old Cologne painting, the renowned medieval Cologne school of
painting, occupied a leading position in the Middle Ages. The
painters worked mainly in Schildergasse, where the sign painters
were also based, i.e. in the street that developed from the Roman
Decumanus Maximus and is today one of the most frequented shopping
streets in Germany. The most famous painters of the Old Cologne
painting were Stefan Lochner, the Master of Saint Veronica and
Bartholomäus Bruyn.
In the Middle Ages, Cologne was one of the
three most important pilgrimage cities, along with Rome and Santiago
de Compostela in northern Spain, with up to 500,000 pilgrims per
year.
In 1164, the bones of the Three Holy Kings were
transferred to Cologne.
In 1121 the relics of Saint Gereon were
found; he, like Saint Ursula
(whose bones were found in the
12th century), are immortalized in the city's coat of arms.
In today's cathedral treasury there are countless other relics of
saints such as St. Severin and others, as well as St. Peter's staff
and parts of St. Peter's chain.
The construction of Cologne Cathedral
Around 1248, construction began on the city's most impressive masterpiece, the cathedral. It would take over 600 years to complete and would not be completed until 1880.
The Dark Ages
But Cologne also had difficult times in the Middle Ages. The city
experienced a decline after the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), which
in particular led to the collapse of the Hanseatic League. In 1794,
the city was occupied by the French who stayed till 1814. This is
why the Middle Ages lasted longer in Cologne than in other German
cities. The arrival of the French in 1794 can be seen as the
decisive turning point. The Jewish community, which had existed
since the time of Constantine the Great, was expelled in 1424 and
until 1794, Jews were even forbidden to spend the night in the
city.
While Cologne was called the "most beautiful city in
Germany" during its heyday, by the 18th century many visitors had
only considered it a "hideous city".
Medieval power structures in Cologne at a glance:
953 - 1288 absolutist power of the archbishops as
spiritual and secular head (from around 1200 with organs of the
citizenry)
1288 - 1396oligarchic rule of the families (some
patrician families) in a de facto Free Imperial City
1396 - 1794 rule of the citizens (rule of the merchants and guilds organized in
the Gaffeln) on the basis of the association letter of 1396 (from
1475 also de jure in the Free Imperial City of Cologne), which only
ended with the occupation by the French.
Cologne since the 19th century
In 1815, Cologne fell to Prussia. This political change ushered in a
new era of prosperity.
A variety of industries now
flourished in the city. The first chamber of commerce in Germany was
opened. The construction of the railway meant that Cologne also
became a railway hub due to its geographical location.
In 1900, the city had a considerable population of
372,529.
Unbelievable but true: this film was shot in
Cologne in 1896:
Köln - Cologne 1896 - Lumière - 1st montage in filmhistory
Das alte Köln in Farbe - Cologne 1896-1936 colorized
Colonge between WW I and WW II
The city's revival was abruptly interrupted by the First World War
(July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918).
From 1917, Konrad Adenauer, the later Chancellor of the
Federal Republic of Germany, was mayor of Cologne.
He was born
in Cologne (January 5, 1876) and was a lawyer. He was also a member
of the Catholic Center Party and the Prussian House of Lords.
In 1918, the victorious powers entered the Rhineland. In the
following video, British soldiers arrive in Cologne via the
Deutzer Bridge.
Köln 1918 koloriert - 50.000 Briten besetzen die Stadt - British
troops in Cologne
Germany 1920s in color, Cologne to Kevlaar
Cologne before WWII - Eigelstein - Domplatz - Hohe Str. -
Gürzenich - Waidmarkt
Cologne before WWII - Altstadt - Martinsviertel - Cologne´s
original old town
Cologne around WW II
On February 17, 1933, Cologne Mayor Adenauer refused to greet Adolf
Hitler at the airport when he arrived in Cologne for an election
campaign event. He also banned the raising of swastika flags on city
bridges.
After Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists seized power, the
Center Party in Cologne was defeated in the local elections on March
12, 1933. Early in the morning on March 13, 1933, Adenauer left
Cologne for Berlin. The town hall was occupied and district
president Hans Elfgen placed him on leave. Adenauer was temporarily
suspended from duty in April 1933 and finally dismissed by the Nazis
on July 17, 1933.
(1945) WWII. War arrives in Germany.
The WW2 Tank Battle Caught of Cologne
U.S. 3rd Armored Division in Cologne, World War II
Cologne March 1945: Tank Duel at the Cathedral
Cologne's Fate - British Army
German prisoners of war, 1945
Cologne's massive destruction after Operation Millenium (filmed 1945)
WWII Post War Cologne After German Defeat 1945
Cologne 1945/46 - Life in ruins - Wave of return - Donations for Cologne
1948 Re-opening of Cologne Cathedral after WWII