German Cities Cologne

Among the most picturesque of German cities is Cologne, also known as Koln in German, a large metropolis in the western area of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne covers an area of 156.4 square miles (405.15 km. sq.) on the Rhine River, and has a population of just fewer than one million people. Cologne is the fourth largest city in the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne was founded by the Romans in 38 BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in Germany, and was officially made a part of the Roman Empire in 50 CE. Today, Cologne is notable among the German cities for its artistic culture, featuring many architectural relics, modern museums, and different cultural events.

Cologne is one of a few German cities to have its origins during the Roman Era.Founded in the year 38 BCE under the name Oppidum Ubiorum by a Germanic tribe known as the Ubii, Cologne was officially recognized as a Roman city in the year 50 CE, when its name was changed to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. Today, the city has some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins in Europe, concentrated most in the wharf area of town. Emperor Constantine constructed a bridge over the Rhine in the city in 310 CE. The Roman period of occupation ended in 459, when control of the city was given to the Franks.

Like many other German cities, Cologne became integral for trade in Central Europe during the Middle Ages. The cathedral at Cologne became the destination of choice for many European pilgrims during the twelfth century, when the Archbishop Rainald of Dassel donated relics of the Three Wise Men, which had been taken from collections in Milan. This region became part of Napoleon’s expanding French Empire in 1801, and was ceded to the newly-formed Kingdom of Prussia at the Vienna Conference in 1815. The city greatly expanded during this period, absorbing many of the surrounding suburbs. During World War II, Cologne was raided 262 times, and suffered more than 20,000 casualties.

Among other things, Cologne is famous among German cities for Kolsch, a local brand of beer brewed there. The local dialect is also widely known as Kolsch, which has been the subject of an enormous amount of wordplay among Germans. Cologne is also the birthplace of Eau de Cologne, a fragrance for men that was developed in the 18th century. Cologne is also well known for its yearly Carnival, which begins on November 11th at eleven minutes past eleven in the morning, and concludes on Ash Wednesday. The carnival proper begins on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, when the street festival begins. It is one of the biggest street festivals in the European Union, with hundreds of thousands of visitors thronging the city to celebrate.