Cologne History

Pre 20th Century

Cologne's history begins in ancient times and its origins are inextricably linked with Julia Aggripina, who famously murdered her spouse - only to be murdered in turn by her son, Nero. Julia was born in 15 AD, in a garrison town that had been established 48 years earlier. She eventually became the emperor's wife and persuaded him to rename her birthplace after her - although it didn't take long for 'Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium' to get shortened down to 'Colonia'. In German it's now known as Köln.

Throughout the Dark Ages the city gradually became a powerful Catholic archbishopric. Construction on its famous cathedral began in 1248, just 40 years before the archbishops lost power to the guilds at the battle of Worringen. Köln became a Free Imperial City and continued to prosper.

The cathedral was left unfinished, but the city remained staunchly Catholic. The French invaded in 1794 and - when the Congress of Vienna ended the occupation - the city was subsumed into Prussia. During the nineteenth century the city industrialised and continued to flourish. After five centuries, the Prussians completed construction of the towering cathedral.

Modern

Cologne's economy was robust enough to ride out the economic downturns between the wars, but could do nothing against Allied bombing. It has been estimated that 95% of central Cologne was destroyed. In the decades following the conflict, enormous effort went into clearing the ruins and rebuilding the city.

Recent

Today, Cologne is powered by the automotive and pharmaceutical industries; these twin engines have helped it recover from its wounds to become the fourth largest city in Germany.