Cologne

Cologne (German: {{Audio|De-Köln.ogg|Köln}} ; Kölsch: Kölle) is, in terms of population, the fourth largest city in Germany and the largest city of the German province of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its Cathedral, its uniquely brewed Kölsch beer, the original Eau de Cologne, and its celebration of Carnival and Christopher Street Day.

History

Main article: History of Cologne

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Cologne became a city in 50 A.D., had a bishop as early as 313, and, in 785, became the seat of an archbishop. The Archbishop of Cologne was one of the seven Electors of the Holy Roman Empire. He ruled a large area as a secular lord in the Middle Ages, but in 1288 he was defeated by the Cologne citizens and forced to move to Bonn. Cologne was a member of the Hanseatic League, but became a free city officially only by 1475.

Related Topics:
50 - Bishop - 313 - 785 - Archbishop - Archbishop of Cologne - Electors - Holy Roman Empire - Middle Ages - 1288 - Bonn - Hanseatic League - Free city - 1475

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Cologne lost its free status, and regained its archbishopric during the French period, and, in 1815, at the Congress of Vienna was made part of the kingdom of Prussia. Cologne became an industrial city, and the current cathedral, started in 1248 but abandoned in the mid-1500s, was eventually finished in 1880.

Related Topics:
1815 - Congress of Vienna - Prussia - Cathedral - 1248 - 1880

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During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Cologne incorporated numerous surrounding towns, and by the time of World War I had already grown to 600,000 inhabitants. In World War II, it was repeatedly bombed, and much of the city was in ruins. It took some time to rebuild the city, but afterwards it grew again, and, in 1975, reached 1 million inhabitants for about one year.

Related Topics:
Nineteenth - Twentieth - Centuries - World War I - World War II - 1975

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