The German states fought against France in the Franco-Prussian War. It was triggered by the dispute over Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen’s candidacy for the Spanish throne. The war began in July 1870 and ended in May 1871 after the Germans had taken Paris. Among other things, France had to cede Alsace-Lorraine. It was only after … Read more
If you stand at the fish market and look towards Groß St. Martin, you might notice a memorial plaque in the wall. It is dedicated to Robert Blum, a freedom fighter who was born here at the fish market. Robert Blum was born on November 10, 1807 in Cologne, the son of a cooper at … Read more
The legend of the Brownies of Cologne was first told around 1800. The poem, which many people still know by heart, came later, but that’s another story. Many legends have a kernel of truth, but what is true about this legend? Where did the brownies come from? Who were they? We can’t say for sure, … Read more
The building that now houses the Brauhaus zum Prinzen is the oldest building still standing on Alter Markt and has always been called “Zur Brezel”. First mentioned in a document in 1213, it has stood in this form since 1580. The double gable shows that it is a kind of medieval double house: the northern … Read more
In 1881, the city took over the medieval city wall from the Prussians. The city was bursting at the seams and had no space to implement new building projects. The rings were then built in front of the city wall from 1881. This also meant that there was finally enough building land to construct public … Read more
30 years ago today, on April 25, 1991, the winged car was erected on Cologne’s Zeughaus as part of the “Fetish Car” art campaign by artist HA Schult. Naturally, there was a lot of discussion about the whole project and also about the car on the listed Zeughaus. Most people in Cologne liked it, except … Read more
