The University of Cologne

Established in 1388, University of Cologne is the second oldest university in Germany, preceded only by the University of Heidelberg (which opened two years earlier in 1386). Unlike the University of Heidelberg as well as two other preceding universities in the Holy Roman Empire (Prague in 1348 and Vienna in 1365), which were founded by feudal lords, the University of Cologne was founded by the city council of Cologne. Thus, it was the first citizen-based university in this area.
(Archbishop of Cologne and wealthy merchants there had increasingly bitter conflicts since 10th century. After the Archbishop was defeated by the neighboring powers in 1288 at the Battle of Worringen near Cologne, City of Cologne gained its independence from the Archbishop. It eventually became a free imperial city in 1475.)

        “Good idea since 1388” is the motto of this university, but there was a difficult period to provide good ideas. In 1794, Napoleon occupied the Left Bank of the Rhine River and closed all the universities in 1798, at a time when many French universities were also abolished under the new French constitution. The City of Cologne struggled to set up the university again after the end of the Napoleonic era. It was re-established only in 1919. Today, with around 45,000 students, among which about 5,000 are from abroad, the University of Cologne is one of the largest and most international universities in Germany.

        The main building (Hauptgebäude, photo above) of the university was built in 1934 when the campus was moved from its initial location to the current area. This building now houses the main auditorium, the central offices of the rector and chancellor, as well as the rooms for the Faculty of Law.
        Google Map

The Main Lecture Hall building

The Hörsaalgebäude along with the neighboring City Library building was built in 1968 by the architect Rolf Gutbrod. Does it look like a garage next to a shopping mall? This is a characteristic feature of the Brutalist architecture. As one of the representative models of this architectural trend, the building is a designated Heritage-protected (Denkmalschutz) landmark since 2013.

        When things become a bit old, people tend to think that they are outdated and can therefore be discarded. After most of them have been destroyed or demolished, the remaining few are seen as precious and kept as heritages. In order to pass on sufficient number of good heritages to future generations, it is highly important to preserve them, especially at the time when they start appearing slightly outdated.
        Google Map

Albertus Magnus

Albertus Magnus is arguably one of the most influential people from Cologne. Born shortly before 1200, and died in 1280, he studied in Padua and Bologna and became a member of the Dominican Order. He moved to Cologne to become a lecturer of a Dominican house. He later became a professor at the University of Paris; Thomas Aquinas was one of his students there. Later, he came back to Cologne and founded the Studium Generale, which served as a precursor to the University of Cologne.

        Recognised for his early use of empirical observation, he was canonised as the Doctor of the Church in 1931 and the Patron Saint of Natural Scientists in 1941 by Pope Pius XI. St. Albertus’ feast day is the 15th November which, unfortunately, most natural scientists at the university forget about. It is just four days after the “Eleventh of Eleventh” when the official Carnival period starts, with chaotic events taking place all over the university campus (see later).

        The statue of Albertus Magnus stands in front of the main building of the university. After PhD students successfully complete their defense, they are transported on cheerfully decorated wagons, climb the statue, and kiss the face of St. Albertus to cerebrate their achievements. This tradition was perhaps copied from the University of Göttingen, where students kiss the statue of the Gänseliesel (Goose Girl).
        Google Map

The Mouse

The second-most influential person (sort of) from Cologne would be the Mouse, the main character of a TV series “Die Sendung mit der Maus (Show with the Mouse)”, which has been running since 1971. Produced by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), one of the key broadcasting stations of the German national TV network, the educational program aimed at young children has been introduced in numerous other countries and has been beloved by the kids of many generations ever since. The statue of the Mouse is located next to the building of WDR in downtown Cologne.
        Google Map

Cologne Basic Law

Everyone who lives in Germany must respect the German Basic Law, a substitute of the constitution. But in addition, those who live in Cologne must observe the Cologne Basic Law (Kölsche Grundgesetz), which consists of 11 articles and is written in the strong Kölsch dialect. Here is translation:

Et es wie et es.
Es ist wie es ist.
It is what it is.

Et kütt wie et kütt.
Es kommt wie es kommt.
Whatever will be, will be.

Et hätt noch immer jot jejange.
Es ist schon immer gut gegangen.
It has always worked out.

Wat fott es, es fott.
Was weg ist, ist weg.
What’s gone, is gone.

Nix bliev wie et wor.
Nichts bleibt wie es war.
Nothing stays as it was.

Kenne mer nit, bruche mer nit, fott domet.
Kennen wir nicht, brauchen wir nicht, fort damit.
We don’t know it, we don’t need it, get rid of it.

Wat wellste maache?
Was willst Du machen?
What are you gonna do about it?

Mach et jot ävver nit ze off.
Mach es gut, aber nicht zu oft.
Do it well but not too often.

Wat soll dä Quatsch?
Was soll der Quatsch?
What is this nonsense?

Drinkste ene met?
Trinkst Du eine mit?
Let’s have a drink!

Do laachste dech kapott.
Da lachst Du Dich kaputt.
You’ll die laughing.

As you see, this way of thinking may not fit the stereotypical image of German people. Located on the edge of the German-speaking area, the atmosphere of this city is something of a hybrid with that of neighboring Latin countries.

Carnival

THE most important event in Cologne is Carnival. The Carnival period is regarded as the Fifth Season of the year. It starts on 11th November (Elfter im Elften) at 11:11 am with a ceremony at the historic market place (Heumarkt). The city is filled with people who wear authentic or funny costumes and drink outsides and in pubs. In February or early March depending on the year, the main carnival festival week starts on Fat Thursday (Weiberfastnacht), when women storm the city hall and take control of it. The whole city is again filled with the people who cerebrate and drink. The Rose Monday (Rosenmontag) is cerebrated with a very long parade (Zug), which lasts for nearly eight hours. On Tuesday evening, dressed straw dolls (Nubbel) are burned to mark the end of the festival. From Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch) onwards, people are supposed to think about the hard 40 days of Jesus in the desert when he endured temptation by Satan before his final days in Jerusalem.

        The area surrounding the university campus is one of the hot spots during the festivities on both the Elfter im Elften and on the Weiberfastnacht. The campus border is blocked with metal fences, and only the members of the university who hold the entrance pass can go inside the fence.

        During the Carnival, you exchange greetings by saying “Alaaf!” Never ever say “Helau!” It is the word used in Düsseldorf, the archrival of Cologne. It could endanger your life.

The Cologne Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral dominates the skyline of the city. It is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and features immense twin towers, each of which is 157 meters tall. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

        On the first Sunday of the month, the Cologne Cathedral offers an international High Mass (at 10:00 am) so that people visiting from all over the world can equally participate in the worship. How? The mass is in Latin. Thus, everyone is equally handicapped to understand the meaning… (But please keep in mind that Latin mass in Catholic churches were standard until 1962, when the Second Vatican Council voted for promoting the use of everyday languages.)
        Google Map

Construction of the Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral is famous for its very long construction period, which began in 1248 and ended in 1880, thus, 632 years in total. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the people in Cologne worked diligently day in, day out during the entire six centuries. The cathedral has only had its current shape for the last 150 years. For the longest period during its history — 322 years between 1520 and 1842 — it appeared like the picture above. Not with the steep twin towers, but with a large wooden crane on top of the unfinished south tower. This was the symbol of the Cologne landscape throughout this period.

        The construction of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in France started in 1163 and ended in 1260. Chartres Cathedral between 1145 and 1220. Reims Cathedral from 1211 and mostly completed in 1299. Compared to these, the late start of Cologne Cathedral construction in 1248 determined its fate. The choir and altar were more-or-less completed in 1322, but following this, further construction became sluggish; it managed to continue until 1520 (in some documents until 1560) but then, finally, stalled.

        Many factors would contribute to this ill fate, and one of them was global cooling. The peaceful medieval warm period ended in the 13th century, after which the temperature in the Northern hemisphere began to cool down. The coolest period between ca. 1300 and ca. 1850 is called the Little Ice Age. Harvest yields declined, which resulted in repeated famine. Several volcanic eruptions in the mid 14th century caused reduced sunshine and cold weather throughout the Eurasian continent from France to Japan between 1345 and 1349. Emergency import of grains from the Black Sea region to Italy, intended for preventing starvation, introduced rodents that carried pest bacterium, and the Black Death prevailed. Social unrest and wars became more common during the following centuries. Such a situation would not appear ideal for completing a big construction project…

        After Napoleon was defeated, the area surrounding Cologne became a part of the province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815. Diligent Prussian people might have thought: “Oh, we must fix this unfinished church.” Incidentally, the Little Ice Age ended at around the same time. Cathedral construction was restarted in 1842. After 322 years of silence, the remaining construction, including the gigantic nave and immense twin towers, was completed in just 38 years, by 1880.

The hill of the old town

When you see the Cologne Cathedral from the side of the Cologne Central Station, you recognise that the church is located on the north edge of a small hill. The entire old town is situated on this hill, which extends about 1 km behind the church. This elevation explains the reason why the City of Cologne had to be built at this particular location.

        During the 5,000 years of human warfare history, it was very important for armies to occupy elevated areas. From these positions, people can easily watch approaching enemies. A downward defense is much more effective than upward attack. After running through the Rhine Valley, at the location of Bonn, the Rhine River flows into the plains. From there downwards, there are very few elevated hills on the left (Western) side of the river. The small hill in Cologne is a rare exception, and it is right next to the river bank. It is no wonder that the Romans decided to build their army camp at this location in 38 B.C.

        Germanicus was a general famous for the battle against the Germanic tribes. His daughter Julia Agrippina (Agrippina the younger) was born in Cologne in 15 A.D. She later became the wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius, who was actually a brother of Germanicus and therefore an uncle of Agrippina. (Marriage rules were more relaxed at that time…) Agrippina convinced her uncle, husband and emperor in 50 A.D. to elevate the status of her birthplace to “colonia”, whose residents could then benefit from the full privileges as the people with Roman citizenship. The city was thereafter called CCAA (Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium; Colony of Claudius and Altar of the Agrippinians).

        There were actually many colonia across the Roman empire, but somehow only the people in this city were happy to be called a “colony” throughout the following two millennia.
        Google Map

The Romano-Germanic Museum

The Römisch-Germanisches Museum is one of the most spectacular museums in Cologne. Built directly above an ancient Roman villa, it exhibits many precious archeological findings of the Roman and early Germanic periods. Unfortunately, since 2018, the museum has been temporally closed for renovation. Construction work was supposed to be finished within a few years. But now in 2026, there is no foreseeable prospect. The construction planning office’s contract was terminated after repeated failures. Construction work will continue at least until 2030, but no one knows when it will finish.

        The renovation of the opera house in Cologne is suffering from the same problem. The airport in Berlin, the concert hall in Hamburg, the central station in Stuttgart, etc., severe delays to construction work are common. Maybe the Cologne City Council in the 16th century faced the same problem and this is why they terminated the contract for the cathedral’s construction?

        There is however one piece of good news. People can still view the gorgeous Dionysus mosaic floor through a window on the left side of the (closed) main entrance of the museum.
        Google Map

Old street

The pavement of this street is around 2,000 years old!. This street was a part of the main East-West streets that extends to the river bank harbor. A remnant of the old water delivery system is also preserved on the road side.
        Google Map

A new but historic street

Hohe Strasse is one of the most popular shopping streets in the city. The street has been there since the Roman period. Southwards it leads to a satellite garrison in Bonna (modern-day Bonn, stationed by Legio I). Northwards it leads to another satellite garrison in Novaesium (modern-day Neuss, stationed by Legio XX and later by Legio VI). The North Gate passing through the old Roman wall is still preserved in front of the facade of the Cologne Cathedral.
        Google Map

The Chocolate Museum

The Chocolate Museum, run by the Swiss chocolatier company Lindt, is another popular museum in Cologne, and fortunately it is not closed for renovation. But why chocolate in Cologne?

        Cocoa beans are imported from Africa. Cologne is located 348 km from the ocean along the Rhine river, but its elevation is only 39 m above see level. Because the river is so flat (11 cm/km of slope on an average), transporting goods via this river was easy, even during the time before steam engines. The Rhine river, however, becomes gradually steeper. The slope of the river between Düsseldorf (56 km downwards) and Cologne is already 20 cm/km. The slope between Cologne and Bonn (23km upwards) is 29 cm/km. The river becomes even more challenging for ship navigation along the Rhine Valley, passing by the dangerous Lorelei Rock. Therefore, it makes sense to convert bulky products (like cocoa beans) to smaller and more expensive products (like chocolate) to avoid the problem of transportation. The advent of the railway system changed the situation. It became easy to transport cocoa beans all the way to Switzerland, where tasty milk is available.

        You can learn such trivia by visiting the Chocolate Museum. You can, of course, enjoy freshly made Lindt’s chocolates there.
        Google Map

Kölsch Brauhaus

There are many different beer brewing methods in Germany. Kölsch is produced by one of these methods, and is believed to be the best beer in the world by the people in Cologne (but not so by others). It is a kind of ale; warm-fermented (18°C instead of 5-10°C for cool-fermented Lager, etc.) with top-fermenting yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae) instead of bottom-fermenting ones (e.g., Saccharomyces pastorianus used for Lager).

        Kölsch is a pale and bright beer with a delicate flavour that is easily affected by contact with air. To avoid this, the beer is served in thin small glasses (usually 0.2 L, maximum 0.3 L). The glass itself is also thin. To avoid breaking, one must clink glasses together from below, and not above, when toasting.

        Kölsch beer is brewed in Cologne and Alt beer is brewed in Düsseldorf. Both are brewed in a very similar manner, although Alt beer has a darker color. People living in both cities debate endlessly as to which is better. A conclusion is never reached, because it is not a matter of taste but a matter of belief.

        Like Champagne sparkling wine and Cognac brandy, Kölsch beer has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status designated by the European Union. Only the beer that is made inside the City of Cologne following a strict convention is allowed to be labeled as Kölsch.

Kwartier Latäng (Latin Quarter)

Kwartier Latäng is a downtown commercial area near the university campus. It is populated with inexpensive restaurants, café and bars to attract students. It is, why not, named after Quartier Latin in Paris. Unlike our competitor in Paris, the Latin Quarter in Cologne is relatively new, as the university campus moved to here only in 1934.
        Google Map

Belgisches Viertel (Belgian Quarter)

Belgisches Viertel is an area occupied by posh cafés and restaurants a couple of blocks away from Kwartier Latäng. When the old city wall was demolished in 1881 to expand the downtown area, there were already some streets called Limburger and Flandrische Straße. The City Council had the idea to bring together the whole of Holland and Belgium in this area, so the new streets were named Lütticher (Liège), Maastrichter, Antwerpener, Genter and Brüsseler Straße. A new church was built in the square named Brüsseler Platz. These led to the popular name of the Belgian Quarter.
        Google Map

Hiroshima Nagasaki Park

Hiroshima Nagasaki Park is a natural park on a small hill right next to the university campus. Unlike the hill of the downtown area, this hill is artificial. Before WW2 there was a large exercise ground in this area, which was also used for the party ceremony of the National Socialists. After WW2 the city had to throw away the rubble of the destroyed buildings. The rubble was dumped here and then covered with soil and trees. Similar hills made of war-time rubble can be seen in various other German cities, for example, the hill of the 1972 Olympic Park in Munich.

        The park opened in 2004 and was named Hiroshima-Nagasaki to show the commitment of the city for the ‘Alliance of Cities with Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the Promotion of Solidarity among Cities with the Aim of the Complete Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Worldwide’. A small neighboring park across the street has been called Amnesty International’s ‘Human Rights Park’ since 2002.

        At the other side of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Park, there is the Japanese Cultural Institute (Japanisches Kulturinstitut). Similar to the Goethe-Institut in Germany, Athénée Français in France and British Council in UK, Japan promotes cultural exchange through lectures, theater performances, movies, language courses, etc., from here. But why in Cologne? The institute was founded in 1969 in a large city near the capital, and the capital was Bonn at that time.
        Google Map

The city forest

The city Forest (Stadtwald) surrounds the outer rim of the downtown area of Cologne, effectively determining its urban area. It has faced repeated threats of development, but the citizens have managed to protect it. With numerous trees, birds, open green areas and promenade courses, it is a popular spot for walking, relaxing and gathering. The forest also blocks winds, making the downtown climate more comfortable.
        Google Map
        Guide Map of the Cologne City Forest

The Roman aqua duct

Modern-day citizens in Cologne are satisfied with the quality of tap water from nearby water reservoirs, but Roman people were not. They were obsessed with drinking mineral-rich water. Thus, the Roman army built a 130 km-long aqua duct system in 80 A.D. to get water from the Eifel mountain area. The water quality from there is comparable to the Gerolsteiner mineral water from the Eifel, a famous (and expensive) bottled water in the 21st century.

        Unlike the Roman aqua duct in Italy, most of the aqua duct here ran about 1 m below the surface of the earth to protect against freezing. It only runs above the ground once it gets nearer to the city to maintain a drop height to the water outlet. Construction was conducted simultaneously in many sections, but throughout its length, a slope of about 1 m/km was maintained. It is amazing, how Roman soldiers were able to measure the heights of the lands so precisely even over great distantes.

        The aqua duct system was abondonded after 180 years of use, and many parts of the aqua duct were demolished and reused for constructing houses and walls during the subsequent years.
        Google Map

Deutz AG

Deutz may not be one of the most well-known German companies. It is not a consumer-oriented company; it sells internal combustion engines to the companies that produce vehicles for construction, agriculture, etc. It was originally located in the Deutz part of the Cologne downtown area on the other side of the river (thus its name) and later moved to a more suburban location.

        The company is in a sense one of the godfathers of automobile industry. It was founded by Nicolaus Otto, the inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine that powers nearly all the petrol-fuel cars now. Gottlieb Daimler was an early member of the company, who later invented the first automobile and founded Daimler-Benz, which sells Mercedes-Benz cars. (Mercedes was the name of a daughter of a guy who requested the company to produce a new series of cars.) Wilhelm Maybach also worked at Deutz and later joined Daimler to build the engines for the world’s first motorcycle and motorboat. Other notable Deutz alumni include Ettore Bugatti, who later founded an Italian automobile company, as well as Robert Bosch, who later founded the Bosch GmbH, which manufactures indispensable components for car production, as well as various electric appliances.

        The Deutz company also built an interesting technical museum in its factory campus. Classic engines, some from 19th century, are preserved in running condition. However, one must reserve a guided tour.
        Google Map

Alweg Monorail

Have you ever been to Disneyland in California and Florida or Tokyo Haneda Airport and enjoyed a monorail ride? These monorail systems were developed in Cologne.

        Back in the 1950s and 60s, monorail was considered a promising future transport system. A company called Alweg-Forschung GmbH established a test course in a village near Cologne called Fühlingen. The Alweg system was successfully employed by the Disneyland Monorail (1959) and Seattle Center Monorail (1962) in the US, as well as Tokyo Airport Monorail (1964) in Japan. But further sales were not successful. No cities in Europe, even in Germany, showed interests. The company went bankrupt in 1964. The test course and facilities were demolished in 1967, and the whole area was converted to a park with artificial lakes. Hardly any remnants remain now, except for a few landmark sign boards.
        Google Map