The History of Cologne

At the beginning of the 8th century, the power of the Merovingian kings has declined. The high officials at the royal court hold the real power. It is the rise of the Carolingians, who gradually worked their way up from the Merovingians as court officials. So powerful are they now that they even fight among themselves for power and who can continue to make the Merovingian king dance like a puppet...

These next few moments will take us back to a time when Christianity in Cologne was just taking off, and we'll explore the first churches that existed at this point. We start with an adventurous incident from 1959 involving Cologne Cathedral. For SEO: St. Kunibert, St. Cäcilien, St. Ursula, St. Gereon, St. Pantaleon, St. Maria im Kapitol, St. Kolumba, Kolumba, St. Severin, Köln, Germany

With the rise of the bishops also as secular rulers of Cologne, the history of Cologne increasingly becomes synonymous with the history of the diocese of Cologne. In the 7th century, Bishop Kunibert (ca. 600-664) in particular embodies this development. He is the city ruler, prince of the church, priest, head of the court of the King of the Franks, and at times even regent of the empire. More abou...

Cologne in the Merovingian period (6.-8. century). The people of Cologne continued to prosper as the Frankish Empire grew during this time. The dynasty established by Chlodwig ruled over the Franks and their conquered territories in Gaul. We will take a look at society, language, economy, Frankish suburban settlements, and an attack by the Saxons against Deutz.

After the collapse of the (Western) Roman Empire, the whole of Europe is in upheaval. Peoples once disparagingly called barbarians by the Romans are founding their empires on the former territory of the Imperium Romanum. On the Rhine and in northeastern Gaul, it is the Franks who once, as neighbors of the Romans on the right bank of the Rhine, only made the step across the Rhine and thus extended...

Let's discover Cologne after the end of Roman rule in the Rhineland in the late 5th century. Now the Franks are in the area. How might have the city looked like? More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN

Roman central power broke down in the 5th century in Cologne and the Rhineland. The political power that had held control over the region for five centuries was gone. Time to look back on Cologne's first 500 years of existence. How does the Roman heritage up until today influence modern-day city of Cologne?

Dive into the second half of the 5th century. This period marks the end of the Roman era of Cologne. The Roman Empire is declining in the west of Europe. Our beloved city of Cologne, however, did not. It continues to exist and will enter a new era.

In this episode, we return to the realm of legends. This time we meet Ursula, a Breton princess. With her eleven or eleven thousand (!) virgin girlfriends, she is on her way back from a pilgrimage to Rome. This pilgrimage was supposed to be her bachelorette party for the strictly devout Christian princess from northwestern Gaul. On the way back home, she also passes Cologne by ship. But the Huns a...

Dive with me into the time of the "Migration Period." The time from 375 to about 570, because not only in the Far East of the Roman Empire people are experiencing the effects of this time. Our Cologne on the Rhine will also soon realize that significant upheavals are about to take place. But until now, Cologne is still a safe place. Time to look at two men that left their footprint on late antique...

The short Frankish rule over the Roman colony of Cologne ended after only one year in 356. We want to look as far as possible from the sources to see how late antique Cologne developed at the end of the 4th century. Many are tempted to see the end of Roman rule in late antiquity, both in general and regionally, as a stringent downward spiral that was ultimately to culminate in the fall of Rome in...

Cologne, at the beginning of the year 356. The Franks plundered and conquered Cologne. Thus, the northern border of the Roman Empire is open wide for the Germanic enemies. How did it come about that the city could be conquered at all, although it had such mighty stone walls? And how did the Roman central power react to the fall of its colony on the Rhine? You can find out in this episode. The Fran...

In the year 355 Cologne is again on the world stage of history. Invasions of the Germanic tribes shake the region, with Cologne as a Roman island in the midst of chaos. Rome's power once again seems to wobble on the Rhine. If that were not enough, another usurper in Cologne rises to become a counter-emperor. The former Roman emperor Constantius II then sends an undercover murder squad to the Rhine...

Cologne at the beginning of the 4th century. After the crisis of the third century, the Rhineland has never been at rest again. But in the year 306, one man gradually secured power in the Rhine and led the Roman Empire into its last thirty-year bloom. And where is the beginning? On the Rhine, of course. Admittedly, the emperor, whom one will later call "the Great", resides primarily in Trier. But...

In this episode, we again leave the strict chronological narrative. We take a look at religion in ancient Cologne in Roman times. But here we have to speak in the plural. For not only is the Roman state religion predominant here, but a local cult of the Ubians is also extremely popular in the Colonia, dethroning even gods like Jupiter and Juno in terms of popularity. And then there are the many sm...

At the height of the Crisis of the Third Century, the Gallic Empire (260-274) emerges. An empire separated from the actual Roman Empire but still with all Roman characteristics. Except with having the city of Rome in it. With territories of all of Gaul, Spain, half of Germany, and the Roman province of Britain, it takes one-third of the Roman Empire away. And guess what. Our Cologne will be the ca...

The Crisis of the Third Century was a period in which the Roman Empire went through many hardships. Foreign invasions into the Roman territory on many fronts, endless civil wars of rivaling emperors, diseases, and economic downfall. How did Cologne manage to get through these unsafe times? Find out more in this episode. Also, we learn a little bit more about Cologne's new germanic neighbors: the F...

As we continue our stroll through Cologne in Roman times, this time we will actually look at the stuff inside the city walls. Where was everything located at? And where did the normal people live? What kind of economy was predominant? And was there a Colosseum in Cologne?

In this episode, we leave the chronological path of our narrative. We are going to visit a Roman Cologne that might have been just like this. Between the years 100-250 CE. This time span of 150 years was the golden age of Roman Cologne.

VIP visit to our city on the Rhine. The heir to the throne Marcus Ulpius Traianus visits Cologne in the years 97/98. What he does not know, he will find out here that he is the new emperor. And this helps Cologne to an unprecedented upswing. For a few months, Cologne becomes the residence city of the Roman Empire. With Trajan, a golden age for Cologne begins that would last for 150 years.

In this episode, we get a brief overview of how the Romans ruled ancient Cologne. Chronologically, the episode is not firmly docked to a date. In the context of our podcast so far, however, it describes political Cologne at the end of the 1st century AD, several decades after Vitellius and the Batavian Revolt. The Roman rule is consolidated and the Romans finally acknowledge in 85 AD that they wil...

How did young Roman Cologne function: Let's take a look at Cologne's long and high efficient waterline and massive stone wall. Being 95 kilometers/60 miles long, Roman Cologne's was the longest waterline in Europe north of the Alpes. It would transport 20 Mio. Liters of water into that city every day. Cologne's Roman city wall was so mighty that it was used for 1,100 years. And still, it is used i...

The Batavian revolt in the Gallic-Germanic border region in 69 CE has a tight grip over Cologne. The Roman rule is gone for the moment. This episode all these events of this conflict will unfold right in front of Cologne’s doorstep and soon, inside its city walls. Will Cologne prevail? Or will Cologne be crushed between the rebels and the Romans? For one thing, it is certain: the Empire will strik...

DISCLAIMER: I am sorry, for the bad sound compared to earlier episodes. I was still experimenting with my mic settings. Next will be better. Promise! CONTENT: Cologne is in turmoil in the Year of the Four Emperors in 69 CE. Agrippina is dead, so is now her son, emperor Nero. Who will become the new Roman emperor? Four men throw their hats into the ring. One of them is Vitellius, the Roman governor...

„Roman Empress Agrippina was a monster, a murderer, seductive and ruthless“ that has been the verdict about her since the day she died in 59 CE. Is that true? Born 15 CE in Oppidum Ubiorum, today's Cologne, she will be the founder of ancient Cologne, promoting the young city like no other has ever before. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN