Cologne

For the perfume, seeEau de Cologne.For other uses, seeCologne (disambiguation).

"Köln" redirects here. For other uses, seeKöln (disambiguation).

Cologne Köln(German) Kölle(Kölsch)
City
view of Cologne with theKranhäuser,Cologne Cathedral,Great St. Martin Churchand theRhine Cologne CathedralandHohenzollern Bridge Decagon ofSt Gereon's Basilica Flora Botanical Garden Basilica of St. Cunibert
Flag Coat of arms
Cologne within North Rhine-Westphalia
Cologne Cologne
Coordinates:50°56′11″N6°57′10″E
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Cologne
District	Urban district
Founded	38 BCE
Government
•Lord mayor(2020–25)	Henriette Reker(Ind.)
Area
•City	405.15 km2(156.43 sq mi)
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Population (2023-12-31)
•City	1,087,353
• Density	2,700/km2(7,000/sq mi)
•Urban	3,500,000 (Cologne Bonn)
•Metro	8,711,712 (Rhineland)
Time zone	UTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00(CEST)
Postal codes	50441–51149
Dialling codes	0221, 02203 (Porz)
Vehicle registration	K
Website	stadt-koeln.de

Cologne(/kəˈloʊn/kə-LOHN;German:Köln[kœln];Kölsch:Kölle[ˈkœlə]) is the largest city of the GermanstateofNorth Rhine-Westphaliaand thefourth-most populous cityof Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3.1 million people in theCologne Bonn urban region.Cologne is also part of theRhine-Ruhr metropolitan region,thesecond biggest metropolitan region by GDPin the European Union. Centered on theleft (west) bank of the Rhine,Cologne is located on the RiverRhine(Lower Rhine), about 35 km (22 mi) southeast of the North Rhine-Westphalia state capitalDüsseldorfand 25 km (16 mi) northwest ofBonn,the former capital ofWest Germany.

The city's medievalCologne Cathedral(Kölner Dom) was theworld's tallest building 1880–1890and is today thethird-tallest church and tallest cathedral in the world.It was constructed to house theShrine of the Three Kingsand is a globally recognized landmark and one of the most visited sights and pilgrimage destinations in Europe. The cityscape is further shaped by theTwelve Romanesque churches of Cologne.Cologne is famous forEau de Cologne,which has been produced in the city since 1709; "cologne" has since come to be a generic term.

Cologne was founded and established in GermanicUbiiterritory in the 1st century CE as the RomanColonia Agrippina,hence its name.Agrippinawas later dropped (except in Latin), andColoniabecame the name of the city in its own right, which developed into modern German asKöln.Cologne,the French version of the city's name, has become standard in English as well. Cologne functioned as the capital of the Roman province ofGermania Inferiorand as the headquarters of the Roman military in the region until occupied by theFranksin 462. During theMiddle Agesthe city flourished as being located on one of the most important majortrade routesbetween east and western Europe (including theBrabant Road,Via Regiaand Publica). Cologne was afree imperial cityof theHoly Roman Empireand one of the major members of the trade unionHanseatic League.It was one of the largest European cities in medieval and renaissance times.

Prior toWorld War II,the city had undergone occupations by the French (1794–1815) and the British (1918–1926), and was part ofPrussiabeginning in 1815. Cologne was one of the mostheavily bombedcities in Germany during World War II.The bombing reduced the population by 93% mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed around 80% of the millennia-old city center. The post-war rebuilding has resulted in a mixed cityscape, restoring most major historic landmarks like city gates and churches (31 of them beingRomanesque). The city nowadays consists of around 25 % pre World War II buildings and boasts around 9,000 historic buildings.

Cologne is a major cultural center for theRhineland;it hosts more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. There are many institutions of higher education, most notably theUniversity of Cologne,one of Europe's oldest and largest universities;theTechnical University of Cologne,Germany's largest university of applied sciences; and theGerman Sport University Cologne.It hosts threeMax Planck science institutesand is a major research hub for the aerospace industry, with theGerman Aerospace Centerand theEuropean Astronaut Centreheadquarters.Lufthansa,Europe's largest airline,have their main corporate headquarters in Cologne. It also has a significant chemical and automobile industry.Cologne Bonn Airportis a regional hub, the main airport for the region beingDüsseldorf Airport.TheCologne Trade Fairhosts a number oftrade shows.

History

Main articles:History of CologneandColonial history of the city of Cologne

For a chronological guide, seeTimeline of Cologne.

Roman Cologne

Fresco withDionysian scenesfrom a Roman villa of Cologne, Germany (site of the ancient city Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium), 3rd century CE,Romano-Germanic Museum

The first urban settlement on the grounds of modern-day Cologne wasOppidum Ubiorum,founded in 38 BCE by theUbii,aCisrhenianGermanic tribe.In 50 CE, the Romans foundedColonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium(Cologne) on the river Rhineand the city became the provincial capital ofGermania Inferiorin 85 CE.It was also known asAugusta Ubiorum.Considerable Roman remains can be found in present-day Cologne, especially near the wharf area, where a 1,900-year-old Roman boat was discovered in late 2007.From 260 to 271, Cologne was the capital of theGallic EmpireunderPostumus,Marius,andVictorinus.In 310, under emperorConstantine I,a bridge was built over the Rhine at Cologne. Roman imperial governors resided in the city and it became one of the most important trade and production centers in the Roman Empire north of the Alps.Cologne is shown on the 4th centuryPeutinger Map.

Maternus, who was elected as bishop in 313, was the first known bishop of Cologne. The city was the capital of a Roman province until it was occupied by theRipuarian Franksin 462. Parts of the original Roman sewers are preserved underneath the city, with thenew sewerage systemhaving opened in 1890.

After the destruction of theSecond Templein theSiege of Jerusalemand the associateddispersion (diaspora) of the Jews,there is evidence of a Jewish community in Cologne. In 321 CE, Emperor Constantine approved the settlement of a Jewish community with all the freedoms of Roman citizens. It is assumed that it was located near the Marspforte within the city wall. The Edict of Constantine to the Jews is the oldest documented evidence in Germany.

Middle Ages

Early medieval Cologne was part ofAustrasiawithin theFrankish Empire.Cunibert, made bishop of Cologne in 623, was an important advisor to the Merovingian King Dagobert I and served with domesticus Pepin of Landen as tutor to the king's son and heir Siegebert III, the future king of Austrasia. In 716,Charles Martelcommanded an army for the first time and suffered the only defeat of his life whenChilperic II,King ofNeustria,invaded Austrasia and the city fell to him in theBattle of Cologne.Charles fled to theEifelmountains, rallied supporters and took the city back that same year after defeating Chilperic in theBattle of Amblève.Cologne had been the seat of a bishop since the Roman period; underCharlemagne,in 795, bishopHildeboldwas promoted toarchbishop.In the 843Treaty of VerdunCologne fell into the dominion ofLothair I'sMiddle Francia– later calledLotharingia(Lower Lorraine).

In 953, the archbishops of Cologne first gained noteworthy secular power when bishopBrunowas appointed as duke by his brotherOtto I,King of Germany.In order to weaken the secular nobility, who threatened his power, Otto endowed Bruno and his archiepiscopal successors with the prerogatives of secular princes, thus establishing theElectorate of Cologne,formed by the temporal possessions of the archbishopric and included in the end a strip of territory along the left Bank of the Rhine east ofJülich,as well as theDuchy of Westphaliaon the other side of the Rhine, beyondBergandMark.By the end of the 12th century, the Archbishop of Cologne was one of the seven electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. Besides being prince elector, he wasArchchancellorof Italy as well, technically from 1238 and permanently from 1263 until 1803.

Following theBattle of Worringenin 1288, Cologne gained its independence from the archbishops and became aFree City.ArchbishopSigfried II von Westerburgwas forced to reside inBonn.The archbishop nevertheless preserved the right of capital punishment. Thus the municipal council (though in strict political opposition towards the archbishop) depended upon him in all matters concerning criminal justice. This included torture, the sentence for which was only allowed to be handed down by the episcopal judge known as the greve. This legal situation lasted until the French conquest of Cologne.

Besides its economic and political significance Cologne also became an important centre of medieval pilgrimage, when Cologne's archbishop,Rainald of Dassel,gave the relics of theThree Wise Mento Cologne's cathedral in 1164 (after they had been taken fromMilan). Besides the three magi Cologne preserves the relics ofSaint UrsulaandAlbertus Magnus.

Cologne's location on the river Rhine placed it at the intersection of the majortrade routesbetween east and west as well as the main south–north Western Europe trade route, Venice to Netherlands; even by the mid-10th century, merchants in the town were already known for their prosperity and luxurious standard of living due to the availability of trade opportunities.The intersection of these trade routes was the basis of Cologne's growth. By the end of the 12th century, ArchbishopPhillip von Heinsbergenclosed the entire city withwalls.By 1300 the city population was 50,000–55,000.Cologne was a member of theHanseatic Leaguein 1475, whenFrederick IIIconfirmed the city's imperial immediacy.Cologne was so influential in regional commerce that its systems of weights and measurements (e.g. theCologne mark) were used throughout Europe.

Colognec. 1411

Early modern history

Panorama of Cologne in 1530

Attack onDeutzby theSwedish armyduring theThirty Years' Warin 1632

Reconstruction of Cologne in the 17th century (German, English subtitles available)

The economic structures of medieval and early modern Cologne were characterised by the city's status as a major harbour and transport hub on the Rhine. Craftsmanship was organised by self-administering guilds, some of which were exclusive to women.

As afree imperial city,Cologne was a self-ruling state within theHoly Roman Empire,animperial estatewith seat and vote at theImperial Diet,and as such had the right (and obligation) to contribute to the defense of the Empire and maintain its own military force. As they wore a red uniform, these troops were known as theRote Funken(red sparks). These soldiers were part of the Army of the Holy Roman Empire ( "Reichskontingent" ). They fought in the wars of the 17th and 18th century, including the wars against revolutionary France in which the small force was almost completely wiped out in combat. The tradition of these troops is preserved as a military persiflage by Cologne's most outstanding carnival society, theRote Funken.

The Free Imperial City of Cologne must not be confused with theElectorate of Cologne,which was a state of its own within the Holy Roman Empire. Since the second half of the 16th century the majority of archbishops were drawn from the BavarianWittelsbach dynasty.Due to the free status of Cologne, the archbishops were usually not allowed to enter the city. Thus they took up residence inBonnand later inBrühlon the Rhine. As members of an influential and powerful family, and supported by their outstanding status aselectors,the archbishops of Cologne repeatedly challenged and threatened the free status of Cologne during the 17th and 18th centuries, resulting in complicated affairs, which were handled by diplomatic means and propaganda as well as by the supreme courts of the Holy Roman Empire.

From the 19th century until World War I

Hanging bridge

Cologne lost its status as afree cityduring the French period. According to theTreaty of Lunéville(1801) all the territories of theHoly Roman Empireon the left bank of the Rhine were officially incorporated into theFrench Republic(which had already occupied Cologne in 1794). Thus this region later became part ofNapoleon'sEmpire. Cologne was part of the FrenchDépartementRoer(named after the river Roer, German:Rur) withAachen(French: Aix-la-Chapelle) as its capital. The French modernised public life, for example by introducing theNapoleonic codeand removing the old elites from power. The Napoleonic code remained in use on the left bank of the Rhine until 1900, when a unified civil code (theBürgerliches Gesetzbuch) was introduced in theGerman Empire.In 1815 at theCongress of Vienna,Cologne was made part of theKingdom of Prussia,first in theProvince of Jülich-Cleves-Bergand then theRhine Province.

The permanent tensions between the CatholicRhinelandand the overwhelmingly Protestant Prussian state repeatedly escalated with Cologne being in the focus of the conflict. In 1837 the archbishop of Cologne,Clemens August von Droste-Vischering,was arrested and imprisoned for two years after a dispute over the legal status of marriages between Catholics and Protestants (Mischehenstreit). In 1874, during theKulturkampf,ArchbishopPaul Melcherswas imprisoned before taking asylum in the Netherlands. These conflicts alienated the Catholic population from Berlin and contributed to a deeply felt anti-Prussian resentment, which was still significant after World War II, when the former mayor of Cologne,Konrad Adenauer,became the first West German chancellor.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Cologne absorbed numerous surrounding towns, and by World War I had already grown to 700,000 inhabitants. Industrialisation changed the city and spurred its growth. Vehicle and engine manufacturing was especially successful, though the heavy industry was less ubiquitous than in theRuhr area.Thecathedral,started in 1248 but abandoned around 1560, was eventually finished in 1880 not just as a place of worship but also as a German national monument celebrating the newly foundedGerman empireand the continuity of the German nation since the Middle Ages. Some of this urban growth occurred at the expense of the city's historic heritage with much being demolished (for example, the city walls or the area around the cathedral) and sometimes replaced by contemporary buildings.

Cologne was designated as one of theFortresses of the German Confederation.It was turned into a heavily armed fortress (opposing the French and Belgian fortresses ofVerdunandLiège) with two fortified belts surrounding the city, the remains of which can be seen to this day.The military demands on what became Germany's largest fortress presented a significant obstacle to urban development, with forts, bunkers, and wide defensive dugouts completely encircling the city and preventing expansion; this resulted in a very densely built-up area within the city itself.

DuringWorld War ICologne was the target of several minor air raids but suffered no significant damage. Cologne was occupied by theBritish Army of the Rhineuntil 1926, under the terms of the Armistice and the subsequentVersailles Peace Treaty.In contrast with the harsh behaviour of the French occupation troops in Germany, the British forces were more lenient to the local population.Konrad Adenauer,the mayor of Cologne from 1917 until 1933 and later a West German chancellor, acknowledged the political impact of this approach, especially since Britain had opposed French demands for a permanent Allied occupation of the entire Rhineland.

As part of the demilitarisation of theRhineland,the city's fortifications had to be dismantled. This was an opportunity to create two green belts (Grüngürtel) around the city by converting the fortifications and their fields of fire into large public parks. This was not completed until 1933. In 1919 theUniversity of Cologne,closed by the French in 1798, was reopened. This was considered to be a replacement for the loss of theUniversity of Strasbourgon the west bank of the Rhine, which reverted to France with the rest ofAlsace.Cologne prospered during theWeimar Republic(1919–33), and progress was made especially in public governance, city planning, housing and social affairs. Social housing projects were considered exemplary and were copied by other German cities. Cologne competed to host the Olympics, and a modern sports stadium was erected at Müngersdorf. When the British occupation ended, the prohibition of civil aviation was lifted andCologne Butzweilerhof Airportsoon became a hub for national and international air traffic, second in Germany only toBerlin Tempelhof Airport.

The democratic parties lost the local elections in Cologne in March 1933 to theNazi Partyand other extreme-right parties. The Nazis then arrested theCommunistandSocial Democratsmembers of the city assembly, and Mayor Adenauer was dismissed. Compared to some other major cities, however, the Nazis never gained decisive support in Cologne. (Significantly, the number of votes cast for the Nazi Party inReichstagelections had always been the national average.)By 1939, the population had risen to 772,221 inhabitants.

World War II

The devastation of Cologne, 1945

During World War II, Cologne was a Military Area Command Headquarters (Militärbereichshauptkommandoquartier) forWehrkreis VI(headquartered atMünster). Cologne was under the command of Lieutenant-General Freiherr Roeder von Diersburg, who was responsible for military operations inBonn,Siegburg,Aachen,Jülich,Düren,andMonschau.Cologne was home to the 211th Infantry Regiment and the 26th Artillery Regiment.

The Allies dropped 44,923.2 tons of bombs on the city during World War II, destroying 61% of its built up area. During theBombing of Cologne in World War II,Cologne endured 262 air raidsby the WesternAllies,which caused approximately 20,000 civilian casualties and almost completely wiped out the central part of the city. During the night of 31 May 1942, Cologne was the target of "Operation Millennium",the first 1,000 bomber raid by theRoyal Air Forcein World War II. 1,046 heavy bombers attacked their target with 1,455 tons of explosives, approximately two-thirds of which were incendiary.This raid lasted about 75 minutes, destroyed 600 acres (243 ha) of built-up area (61%),killed 486 civilians and made 59,000 people homeless. The devastation was recorded byHermann Claasenfrom 1942 until the end of the war, and presented in his exhibition and book of 1947Singing in the furnace. Cologne – Remains of an old city.

Cologne was taken by the AmericanFirst Armyin early March 1945 during theInvasion of Germanyafter abattle.By the end of the war, the population of Cologne had been reduced by 95%. This loss was mainly caused by a massive evacuation of the people to more rural areas. The same happened in many other German cities in the last two years of war. By the end of 1945, however, the population had already recovered to approximately 450,000.By the end of the war, essentially all of Cologne's pre-war Jewish population of 11,000 had been deported or killed by the Nazis.The six synagogues of the city were destroyed. Thesynagogue on Roonstraßewas rebuilt in 1959.

Post-war and Cold War eras

Cologne, seen from ESA Sentinel-2

Despite Cologne's status as the largest city in the region, nearbyDüsseldorfwas chosen as the political capital of thefederated stateofNorth Rhine-Westphalia.WithBonnbeing chosen as the provisional federal capital (provisorische Bundeshauptstadt) and seat of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany (then informallyWest Germany), Cologne benefited by being sandwiched between two important political centres. The city became–and still is–home to a number of federal agencies and organizations. After reunification in 1990, Berlin was made the capital of Germany.

In 1945 architect and urban plannerRudolf Schwarzcalled Cologne the "world's greatest heap of rubble". Schwarz designed the master plan for reconstruction in 1947, which included the construction of several new thoroughfares through the city centre, especially theNord-Süd-Fahrt( "North-South-Drive" ). The master plan took into consideration the fact that even shortly after the war a large increase in automobile traffic could be anticipated. Plans for new roads had already, to a certain degree, evolved under the Nazi administration, but the actual construction became easier when most of the city centre was in ruins.

The destruction of 95% of the city centre, including the famousTwelve Romanesque churchessuch asSt. Gereon,Great St. Martin,St. Maria im Kapitoland several other monuments in World War II, meant a tremendous loss of cultural treasures. The rebuilding of those churches and other landmarks such as the Gürzenich event hall was not undisputed among leading architects and art historians at that time, but in most cases, civil intention prevailed. The reconstruction lasted until the 1990s, when the Romanesque church ofSt. Kunibertwas finished.

In 1959, the city's population reached pre-war numbers again. It then grew steadily, exceeding 1 million for about one year from 1975. It remained just below that until mid-2010, when it exceeded 1 million again.

Cologne in 2013

Post-reunification

Soviet letter's envelope in honor of the Internationale Philatelic ExhibitionLUPOSTAin Cologne in 1983

In the 1980s and 1990s Cologne's economy prospered for two main reasons. The first was the growth in the number of media companies, both in the private and public sectors; they are especially catered for in the newly developed Media Park, which creates a strong visual focal point in Cologne's city centre and includes theKölnTurm,one of Cologne's most prominent high-rise buildings. The second was the permanent improvement of the diverse traffic infrastructure, which made Cologne one of the most easily accessible metropolitan areas in Central Europe.

Due to the economic success of theCologne Trade Fair,the city arranged a large extension to the fair site in 2005. At the same time the original buildings, which date back to the 1920s, were rented out toRTL,Germany's largest private broadcaster, as their new corporate headquarters.

Cologne was the focus of the2015-16 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany,with over 500 women reporting that they were sexually assaulted by persons of African and Arab appearance.

Geography

The metropolitan area encompasses over 405 square kilometres (156 square miles), extending around a central point that lies at 50° 56' 33 latitude and 6° 57' 32 longitude. The city's highest point is 118 m (387 ft)above sea level(theMonte Troodelöh) and its lowest point is 37.5 m (123 ft) above sea level (theWorringer Bruch).The city of Cologne lies within the larger area of theCologne Lowland,a cone-shaped area of the centralRhinelandthat lies betweenBonn,AachenandDüsseldorf.

Districts

Main article:Districts of Cologne

Cologne is divided into 9 boroughs (Stadtbezirke) and 85 districts (Stadtteile):

Innenstadt(Stadtbezirk 1) Altstadt-Nord, Altstadt-Süd, Neustadt-Nord, Neustadt-Süd,Deutz Rodenkirchen(Stadtbezirk 2) Bayenthal,Godorf, Hahnwald, Immendorf, Marienburg, Meschenich, Raderberg, Raderthal, Rodenkirchen, Rondorf, Sürth, Weiß,Zollstock Lindenthal(Stadtbezirk 3) Braunsfeld,Junkersdorf,Klettenberg, Lindenthal, Lövenich, Müngersdorf,Sülz,Weiden, Widdersdorf Ehrenfeld(Stadtbezirk 4) Bickendorf, Bocklemünd/Mengenich, Ehrenfeld, Neuehrenfeld, Ossendorf, Vogelsang Nippes(Stadtbezirk 5) Bilderstöckchen, Longerich, Mauenheim,Niehl,Nippes, Riehl, Weidenpesch

Chorweiler(Stadtbezirk 6) Blumenberg, Chorweiler, Esch/Auweiler, Fühlingen, Heimersdorf, Lindweiler, Merkenich, Pesch, Roggendorf/Thenhoven, Seeberg, Volkhoven/Weiler,Worringen Porz(Stadtbezirk 7) Eil,Elsdorf, Ensen, Finkenberg, Gremberghoven, Grengel, Langel, Libur, Lind,Poll,Porz, Urbach, Wahn, Wahnheide, Westhoven,Zündorf Kalk(Stadtbezirk 8) Brück, Höhenberg, Humboldt/Gremberg, Kalk, Merheim, Neubrück, Ostheim,Rath/Heumar,Vingst Mülheim(Stadtbezirk 9) Buchforst, Buchheim, Dellbrück, Dünnwald, Flittard, Höhenhaus, Holweide, Mülheim,Stammheim

Climate

Located in theRhine-Ruhrarea, Cologne is one of the warmest cities in Germany. It has atemperate–oceanic climate(Köppen:Cfb) with cool winters and warm summers. It is also one of the cloudiest cities in Germany, with just 1,567.5 hours of sun a year. Its average annual temperature is 10.7 °C (51 °F): 15.4 °C (60 °F) during the day and 6.1 °C (43 °F) at night. In January, the mean temperature is 3.0 °C (37 °F), while the mean temperature in July is 19.0 °C (66 °F). The record high temperature of 40.3 °C (105 °F) happened on 25 July 2019 during theJuly 2019 European heat wavein which Cologne saw three consecutive days over 38.0 °C (100 °F). Especially the inner urban neighbourhoods experience a greater number of hot days, as well as significantly higher temperatures during nighttime compared to the surrounding area (including the airport, where temperatures are classified).Still temperatures can vary noticeably over the course of a month with warmer and colder weather. Precipitation is spread evenly throughout the year with a light peak in summer due to showers and thunderstorms.

Climate data for Cologne (Cologne Bonn Airport,1991–2020, extremes 1957–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.2 (61.2)	21.0 (69.8)	25.3 (77.5)	30.8 (87.4)	34.4 (93.9)	36.8 (98.2)	40.3 (104.5)	38.8 (101.8)	33.1 (91.6)	27.6 (81.7)	20.2 (68.4)	16.7 (62.1)	40.3 (104.5)
Mean maximum °C (°F)	13.1 (55.6)	14.5 (58.1)	19.7 (67.5)	24.7 (76.5)	28.2 (82.8)	31.7 (89.1)	33.2 (91.8)	32.7 (90.9)	27.4 (81.3)	22.3 (72.1)	16.8 (62.2)	13.2 (55.8)	35.4 (95.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	5.9 (42.6)	7.2 (45.0)	11.4 (52.5)	16.1 (61.0)	19.7 (67.5)	22.7 (72.9)	24.9 (76.8)	24.5 (76.1)	20.4 (68.7)	15.2 (59.4)	9.8 (49.6)	6.5 (43.7)	15.4 (59.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	3.0 (37.4)	3.6 (38.5)	6.7 (44.1)	10.4 (50.7)	14.1 (57.4)	17.1 (62.8)	19.0 (66.2)	18.5 (65.3)	14.8 (58.6)	10.8 (51.4)	6.7 (44.1)	3.8 (38.8)	10.7 (51.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	0.1 (32.2)	2.0 (35.6)	4.5 (40.1)	8.1 (46.6)	11.2 (52.2)	13.3 (55.9)	12.8 (55.0)	9.7 (49.5)	6.8 (44.2)	3.5 (38.3)	1.0 (33.8)	6.1 (42.9)
Mean minimum °C (°F)	−9.1 (15.6)	−8.0 (17.6)	−5.3 (22.5)	−3.1 (26.4)	0.9 (33.6)	5.2 (41.4)	7.7 (45.9)	6.9 (44.4)	3.7 (38.7)	−0.8 (30.6)	−3.8 (25.2)	−7.1 (19.2)	−11.8 (10.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−23.4 (−10.1)	−19.2 (−2.6)	−13.4 (7.9)	−8.8 (16.2)	−2.9 (26.8)	−0.5 (31.1)	2.9 (37.2)	1.9 (35.4)	−1.3 (29.7)	−6.0 (21.2)	−10.4 (13.3)	−18.0 (−0.4)	−23.4 (−10.1)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	61.7 (2.43)	53.8 (2.12)	55.0 (2.17)	48.2 (1.90)	62.1 (2.44)	86.3 (3.40)	87.4 (3.44)	83.3 (3.28)	66.9 (2.63)	64.7 (2.55)	63.5 (2.50)	69.2 (2.72)	802.1 (31.58)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm)	17.2	16.3	16.0	13.0	14.4	14.4	15.4	14.5	14.2	15.6	17.4	19.1	187.6
Average snowy days(≥ 1.0 cm)	4.0	3.3	0.8	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.3	2.1	10.6
Averagerelative humidity(%)	81.8	78.4	72.9	67.2	68.9	70.8	70.9	73.0	77.8	81.5	83.7	83.9	75.9
Mean monthlysunshine hours	54.3	74.8	124.8	172.6	198.7	201.3	207.2	196.6	149.5	104.6	58.9	45.3	1,588.6
Source 1:World Meteorological Organization
Source 2: Data derived fromDeutscher Wetterdienst

The progressing climate change can be seen by looking at the climate data of the previous decade with lower mean temperatures.

Climate data for Cologne/Bonn Airport 1981-2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean maximum °C (°F)	12.5 (54.5)	14.0 (57.2)	19.0 (66.2)	23.7 (74.7)	27.7 (81.9)	30.8 (87.4)	32.3 (90.1)	32.0 (89.6)	26.4 (79.5)	21.9 (71.4)	16.4 (61.5)	12.8 (55.0)	34.1 (93.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	5.4 (41.7)	6.7 (44.1)	10.9 (51.6)	15.1 (59.2)	19.3 (66.7)	21.9 (71.4)	24.4 (75.9)	24.0 (75.2)	19.9 (67.8)	15.1 (59.2)	9.5 (49.1)	5.9 (42.6)	14.8 (58.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	2.6 (36.7)	2.9 (37.2)	6.3 (43.3)	9.7 (49.5)	14.0 (57.2)	16.6 (61.9)	18.8 (65.8)	18.1 (64.6)	14.5 (58.1)	10.6 (51.1)	6.3 (43.3)	3.3 (37.9)	10.3 (50.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−0.6 (30.9)	−0.7 (30.7)	2.0 (35.6)	4.2 (39.6)	8.1 (46.6)	11.0 (51.8)	13.2 (55.8)	12.6 (54.7)	9.8 (49.6)	6.7 (44.1)	3.1 (37.6)	0.4 (32.7)	5.8 (42.4)
Mean minimum °C (°F)	−10.3 (13.5)	−8.9 (16.0)	−5.2 (22.6)	−3.2 (26.2)	1.3 (34.3)	4.7 (40.5)	7.6 (45.7)	6.8 (44.2)	3.5 (38.3)	−0.8 (30.6)	−4.2 (24.4)	−8.3 (17.1)	−13.0 (8.6)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	62.1 (2.44)	54.2 (2.13)	64.6 (2.54)	53.9 (2.12)	72.2 (2.84)	90.7 (3.57)	85.8 (3.38)	75.0 (2.95)	74.9 (2.95)	67.1 (2.64)	67.0 (2.64)	71.1 (2.80)	838.6 (33.02)
Source: Data derived fromDeutscher Wetterdienst

Flood protection

The 1930 flood in Cologne

Cologne is regularly affected by flooding from the Rhine and is considered the most flood-prone European city.A city agency (Stadtentwässerungsbetriebe Köln,"Cologne Urban Drainage Operations" ) manages an extensive flood control system which includes both permanent and mobileflood walls,protection from rising waters for buildings close to the river banks, monitoring and forecasting systems, pumping stations and programmes to create or protectfloodplains,and river embankments.The system was redesigned after a 1993 flood, which resulted in heavy damage.

Demographics

Main article:Demographics of Cologne

Largest groups of foreign residents		Population (2022)
Turkey	57,135
Italy	21,351
Ukraine	12,634
Poland	9,766
Iraq	8,631
Syria	8,074
Bulgaria	7,916
Greece	5,841
Iran	4,910
Serbia	4,837
Romania	4,786
Russia	4,651
Spain	3,954
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3,830
Croatia	3,539
Portugal	3,263
France	3,043
Kosovo	2,586
Netherlands	2,523
Morocco	2,418
Austria	2,394
China	2,328
United Kingdom	2,287

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1430	40,000	—
1801	42,024	+5.1%
1840	75,858	+80.5%
1880	144,722	+90.8%
1900	372,229	+157.2%
1910	516,527	+38.8%
1920	657,175	+27.2%
1930	740,082	+12.6%
1940	733,500	−0.9%
1950	603,283	−17.8%
1960	803,616	+33.2%
1970	847,037	+5.4%
1980	976,694	+15.3%
1990	953,551	−2.4%
2001	967,940	+1.5%
2011	1,005,775	+3.9%
2022	1,017,355	+1.2%
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.

In the Roman Empire, the city was large and rich with a population of 40,000 in 100–200 AD.The city was home to around 20,000 people in 1000 AD, growing to 50,000 in 1200 AD. TheRhinelandmetropolis still had 50,000 residents in 1300 AD.

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany afterBerlin,Hamburg andMunich.As of 31 December 2021, there were 1,079,301 people registered as living in Cologne in an area of 404.99 km²(156.37 sq mi), which makes Cologne the third largest city by area.The population density was 2,700/km²(7,000/sq mi).Cologne first reached the population of 1,000,000 in 1975 due to the incorporation ofWesseling,however this was reversed after public opposition. In 2009 Cologne's population again reached 1,000,000 and it became one of the four cities in Germany with a population exceeding 1 Million. The metropolitan area of theCologne Bonn Regionis home to 3,573,500 living on 4,415/km²(11,430/sq mi).It is part of the polycentric megacity regionRhine-Ruhrwith a population of over 11,000,000 people.

There were 551,528 women and 527,773 men in Cologne. In 2021, there were 11,127 births in Cologne; 5,844 marriages and 1,808 divorces, and 10,536 deaths. In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. 203 people in Cologne were over the age of 100.

According to the Statistical Office of the City of Cologne, the number of people with a migrant background is at 40.5% (436,660). 2,254 people acquired German citizenship in 2021.In 2021, there were 559,854 households, of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18; 51% of all households were made up of singles. 8% of all households were single-parent households. The average household size was 1.88.

Residents with foreign citizenship

Cologne residents with a foreign citizenship as of 31 December 2021 is as follows:

Citizenship	Number	%
Total	436,660	100%
Europe	283,960	65%
European Union	138,961	31.8%
Asian	78,235	17.9%
African	29,552	6.8%
American	13,786	3.2%
Australian and Oceanian	666	0.2%

Turkish community

Cologne is home to 90,000 people of Turkish origin and is the second largest German city with Turkish population afterBerlin.Cologne has a Little Istanbul in Keupstraße that has many Turkish restaurants and markets. Famous Turkish-German people like rapperEko Freshand TV presenterNazan Eckeswere born in Cologne.

Language

See also:Colognian

ColognianorKölsch(Colognian pronunciation:[kœɫːʃ]) (nativelyKölsch Platt) is a small set of very closely related dialects, or variants, of theRipuarianCentral Germangroup of languages. These dialects are spoken in the area covered by the Archdiocese and formerElectorate of Colognereaching fromNeussin the north to just south ofBonn,west toDürenand east toOlpein the North-West of Germany. Kölsch is one of the very few city dialects in Germany, which also include thedialectspoken inBerlin,for example.

Religion

See also:History of the Jews in Cologne

As of 2015, 35.5% of the population belonged to theCatholic Church,the largest religious body, and 15.5% to theProtestant Church.Irenaeus of Lyonsclaimed that Christianity was brought to Cologne by Roman soldiers and traders at an unknown early date. It is known that in the early second century it was a bishop's seat. The first historical Bishop of Cologne wasSaint Maternus.Thomas Aquinasstudied in Cologne in 1244 underAlbertus Magnus.Cologne is the seat of theArchdiocese of Cologne.

According to the 2011 census, 2.1% of the population wasEastern Orthodox,0.5% belonged of anEvangelical Free Churchand 4.2% belonged to further religious communities officially recognized by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (such asJehovah's Witnesses).

There are several mosques, including theCologne Central Mosquerun by theTurkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs.In 2011, about 11.2% of the population wasMuslim.

Cologne also has one of the oldest and largest Jewish communities in Germany.In 2011, 0.3% of Cologne's population was Jewish.

On 11 October 2021, the Mayor of Cologne,Henriette Reker,announced that all of Cologne's 35 mosques would be allowed to broadcast theAdhan(prayer call) for up to five minutes on Fridays between noon and 3 p.m. She commented that the move "shows that diversity is appreciated and loved in Cologne".

Government and politics

See also:Cologne City Hall

The city's administration is headed by themayorand the three deputy mayors.

Political traditions and developments

The long tradition of a free imperial city, which long dominated an exclusively Catholic population and the age-old conflict between the church and the bourgeoisie (and within it between the patricians and craftsmen) have created its own political climate in Cologne. Various interest groups often form networks beyond party boundaries. The resulting web of relationships, with political, economic, and cultural links with each other in a system of mutual favours, obligations and dependencies, is called the 'Cologne coterie'. This has often led to an unusual proportional distribution in the city government and degenerated at times into corruption: in 1999, a "waste scandal" over kickbacks and illegal campaign contributions came to light, which led not only to the imprisonment of the entrepreneur Hellmut Trienekens, but also to the downfall of almost the entire leadership of the ruling Social Democrats.

Mayor

Results of the second round of the 2020 mayoral election

The List of mayors of Cologne|Lord Mayor of Cologne]] isHenriette Reker.She received 52.66% of the vote at the municipal election on 17 October 2015, running as anindependentwith the support of theCDU,FDP,andGreens.She took office on 15 December 2015.Reker was re-elected to a second term in a runoff election on 27 September 2020, in which she received 59.27% of the vote.

The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:

Candidate		Party	First round		Second round
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Henriette Reker	Independent(Green/CDU)	187,389	45.1	174,263	59.3
	Andreas Kossiski	Social Democratic Party	111,353	26.8	119,753	40.7
	Jörg Detjen	The Left	29,810	7.2
	Olivier Fuchs	Volt Germany	18,520	4.5
	Christer Cremer	Alternative for Germany	17,441	4.2
	Nicolin Gabrysch	Climate Friends	14,370	3.5
	Roberto Campione	Independent	14,122	3.4
	Thor Zimmermann	Good Cologne	8,613	2.1
	Dagmar Langel	We Are Cologne	4,464	1.1
	Robert Nussholz	Independent	4,044	1.0
	Sabine Neumeyer	Independent	2,547	0.6
	Rüdiger-René Keune	Ecological Democratic Party	2,336	0.6
	Martin Przybylski	Independent	924	0.2
Valid votes			415,933	98.7	294,016	99.1
Invalid votes			5,633	1.3	2,727	0.9
Total			421,566	100.0	296,743	100.0
Electorate/voter turnout			820,527	51.4	818,731	36.2
Source: City of Cologne (1st roundArchived19 April 2021 at theWayback Machine,2nd round)

City council

Results of the 2020 city council election

The Cologne city council (Kölner Stadtrat) governs the city alongside the Mayor. It serves a term of five years.The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

Party		Votes	%	+/-	Seats	+/-
	Alliance 90/The Greens(Grüne)	118,997	28.5	9.0	26	8
	Social Democratic Party(SPD)	90,040	21.6	7.8	19	7
	Christian Democratic Union(CDU)	89,659	21.5	5.7	19	6
	The Left(Die Linke)	27,044	6.5	0.4	6	±0
	Free Democratic Party(FDP)	21,965	5.3	0.2	5	±0
	Volt Germany(Volt)	20,783	5.0	New	4	New
	Alternative for Germany(AfD)	18,272	4.4	0.8	4	1
	Die PARTEI(PARTEI)	10,261	2.5	2.4	2	2
	Climate Friends (Klima Freunde)	8,383	2.0	0.0	2	±0
	Good Cologne (GUT)	8,298	2.0	0.6	2	±0
	Free Voters Cologne(FWK)	2,501	0.6	0.2	1	±0
	Ecological Democratic Party(ÖDP)	374	0.1	New	0	New
	We Are Cologne 2020 (Wir Sind Köln)	265	0.1	New	0	New
	Independent A. Krause	107	0.0	New	0	New
	Independent Neumeyer	72	0.0	New	0	New
	Independent Weber	72	0.0	New	0	New
	Independent R. Krause	71	0.0	New	0	New
	Independent Schidlowsky	32	0.0	New	0	New
	Party of Progress (PdF)	31	0.0	New	0	New
Valid votes		417,227	98.9
Invalid votes		4,596	1.1
Total		421,823	100.0		90	±0
Electorate/voter turnout		820,526	51.4	1.8
Source:City of Cologne

State Landtag

Results of the2022 state electionin Cologne

In theLandtag of North Rhine-Westphalia,Cologne is divided among seven constituencies. After the2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election,the composition and representation of each was as follows:

Constituency	Area	Party		Member
13 Köln I	Rodenkirchen and part of Innenstadt		Grüne	Eileen Woestmann
14 Köln II	Lindenthal		Grüne	Frank Jablonski
15 Köln III	Ehrenfeld and part of Nippes		Grüne	Arndt Klocke
16 Köln IV	Chorweiler and most of Nippes		SPD	Lena Teschlade
17 Köln V	Porz and the east of Kalk		CDU	Florian Braun
18 Köln VI	Most of Innenstadt and the west of Kalk		Grüne	Berivan Aymaz
19 Köln VII	Mülheim		SPD	Carolin Kirsch

Federal parliament

In theBundestag,Cologne is divided among four constituencies. In the20th Bundestag,the composition and representation of each was as follows:

Constituency	Area	Party		Member
93Cologne I	Porz, Kalk, and part of Innenstadt		SPD	Sanae Abdi
94Cologne II	Rodenkirchen, Lindenthal, and part of Innenstadt		Grüne	Sven Lehmann
95Cologne III	Ehrenfeld, Nippes, and Chorweiler		SPD	Rolf Mützenich
101Leverkusen – Cologne IV	Mülheim (and the city ofLeverkusen)		SPD	Karl Lauterbach

Cityscape

Panoramic view of the city at night as seen fromDeutz;from left to right:Deutz Bridge;Great St. Martin Church;Cologne Cathedral;andHohenzollern Bridge

The inner city of Cologne was largely destroyed during World War II. The reconstruction of the city followed the style of the 1950s, while respecting the old layout and naming of the streets. Thus, the city centre today is characterized bymodern architecture,with a few interspersed pre-war buildings which werereconstructeddue to their historical importance. Some buildings of the "Wiederaufbauzeit" (era of reconstruction), for example, the opera house byWilhelm Riphahn,are nowadays regarded as classics of modern architecture.Nevertheless, the uncompromising style of theCologne Operahouse and other modern buildings has remained controversial.

The districts outside the city center consist mostly of 19th and 20th century buildings.Around 25 % of Cologne was built before 1945.

Green areas account for over a quarter of Cologne, which is approximately 75 m²(807.29 sq ft) of public green space for every inhabitant.

Wildlife

The dominant wildlife of Cologne is insects, small rodents, and several species of birds. Pigeons are the most often seen animals in Cologne, although the number of birds is augmented each year by a growing population offeralexotics, most visibly parrots such as therose-ringed parakeet.The sheltered climate in southeastNorthrhine-Westphaliaallows these birds to survive through the winter, and in some cases, they are displacing native species. The plumage of Cologne's green parrots is highly visible even from a distance, and contrasts starkly with the otherwise muted colours of the cityscape.

Hedgehogs, rabbits and squirrels are common in parks and the greener parts of town. In the outer suburbs foxes and wild boar can be seen, even during the day.

Tourism

Cologne had 5.8 million overnight stays booked and 3.35 million arrivals in 2016.

Köln Cathedral on the banks of Rhine

Landmarks

Churches

• Cologne Cathedral(German:Kölner Dom) is the city's most famous monument and the Cologne residents' most loved landmark. It is aGothicchurch, started in 1248, and completed in 1880. In 1996, it was designated aWorld Heritage Site;it houses theShrine of the Three Kings,which supposedly contains therelicsof theThree Magi(see also). Residents of Cologne sometimes refer to the cathedral as "the eternal construction site" (die ewige Baustelle).
• Twelve Romanesque churches:These buildings are outstanding examples of medieval church architecture. The origins of some of the churches go back as far as Roman times, for example St. Gereon, which was originally a chapel in a Roman graveyard. With the exception of St. Maria Lyskirchen all of these churches were very badly damaged during World War II. Reconstruction was only finished in the 1990s.

• 
  Cologne Cathedral
• 
  Great St. Martin Church
• 
  Basilica of St. Severin
• 
  Church of the Assumption
• 
  Trinity Church

Medieval houses

The Cologne City Hall (Kölner Rathaus), founded in the 12th century, is the oldestcity hallin Germany still in use.The Renaissance-style loggia and tower were added in the 15th century. Other famous buildings include the Gürzenich, Haus Saaleck and the Overstolzenhaus.

• 
  Cologne City Hall
• 
  Gürzenich
• 
  Overstolzenhaus

Medieval city gates

A plan published in 1800 shows the medieval city wall still intact, locating 16 gates (Nr. 36–51 in the legend), e.g., 47: Eigelsteintor, 43: Hahnentor, 39: Severinstor.

Of the twelve medievalcity gatesthat once existed, only the Eigelsteintorburg at Ebertplatz, the Hahnentor at Rudolfplatz and the Severinstorburg at Chlodwigplatz still stand today.

• 
  Eigelsteintor
• 
  Hahnentor
• 
  Severinstor

Streets

Main article:Streets in Cologne

• TheCologne Ringboulevards (such asHohenzollernring,Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring,Hansaring) with their medieval city gates (such asHahnentorburgonRudolfplatz) are also known for their night life.
• Hohe Straße(literally:High Street) is one of the main shopping areas and extends past the cathedral in an approximately southerly direction. The street contains many gift shops, clothing stores, fast food restaurants and electronic goods dealers.
• Schildergasse– connectsNeumarktsquare at its western end to theHohe Strasseshopping street at its eastern end and has been named the busiest shopping street in Europe with 13,000 people passing through every hour, according to a 2008 study byGfK.
• Ehrenstraße – the shopping area aroundApostelnstrasse,Ehrenstrasse,andRudolfplatzis a little more on the quirky and stylish side.

Bridges

Bridge in Cologne over the Rhine River

Rhine River at Cologne

Several bridges cross the Rhine in Cologne. They are (from south to north): theRodenkirchen Bridge,South Bridge(railway),Severin Bridge,Deutz Bridge,Hohenzollern Bridge(railway),Zoo Bridge(Zoobrücke) andMülheim Bridge.In particular the irontied archHohenzollern Bridge (Hohenzollernbrücke) is a dominant landmark along the river embankment. A Rhine crossing of a special kind is provided by theCologne Cable Car(German:Kölner Seilbahn), a cableway that runs across the river between theCologne Zoological Gardenin Riehl and theRheinparkin Deutz.

High-rise structures

Cologne's tallest structure is theColoniustelecommunication tower at 266 m or 873 ft. The observation deck has been closed since 1992. A selection of the tallest buildings in Cologne is listed below. Other tall structures include the Hansahochhaus (designed by architect Jacob Koerfer and completed in 1925 – it was at one time Europe's tallest office building), the Kranhaus buildings atRheinauhafen,and theMesseturm Köln( "trade fair tower" ).

Skyscraper	Image	Height in metres	Floors	Year	Address	Notes
KölnTurm		148.5	43	2001	MediaPark8, Neustadt-Nord	(literally:Cologne Tower), Cologne's second tallest building at 165.48 metres (542.91 ft) in height, second only to the Colonius telecommunication tower. The 30th floor of the building has a restaurant and a terrace with 360° views of the city.
Colonia-Hochhaus		147	45	1973	An der Schanz 2,Riehl	tallest building in Germanyfrom 1973 to 1976. Today, it is still the country's second tallest residential building.
Rheintower		138	34	1980	Raderberggürtel, Marienburg	former headquarters ofDeutsche Welle,since 2007 under renovation with the new nameRheintower Köln-Marienburg.
Uni-Center		133	45	1973	Luxemburger Straße,Sülz
TÜV Rheinland		112	22	1974	Am Grauen Stein,Poll
Ringturm		109	26	1973	Ebertplatz,Neustadt-Nord
Justizzentrum Köln		105	25	1981	Luxemburger Straße,Sülz
KölnTriangle		103	29	2006	Ottoplatz 1,Deutz	opposite to the cathedral with a 103 m (338 ft) high viewing platform and a view of the cathedral over the Rhine.
Herkules-Hochhaus		102	31	1969	Graeffstraße 1,Ehrenfeld
Deutschlandfunk-Turm		102	19	1975	Raderberggürtel, Marienburg

Culture

Main article:History of theatre in Cologne

Courtyard of theKolumbamuseum in 2007, designed byPeter Zumthor

Tauzieher,alimestonesculpture by Nikolaus Friedrich, 1911

Cologne hasnumerous museums.The famousRoman-Germanic Museumfeatures art and architecture from the city's distant past; theMuseum Ludwighouses one of the most important collections ofmodern artin Europe, including aPicassocollection matched only by the museums inBarcelonaandParis.TheMuseum Schnütgenof religious art is partly housed in St. Cecilia, one of Cologne'sTwelve Romanesque churches.Many art galleries in Cologne enjoy a worldwide reputation like e.g.Galerie Karsten Greve,one of the leading galleries for postwar and contemporary art.

Cologne has more than 60 music venues and the third-highest density of music venues of Germany's four largest cities, after Munich and Hamburg and ahead of Berlin.

Several orchestras are active in the city, among them theGürzenich Orchestra,which is also the orchestra of theCologne Operaand theWDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne(German State Radio Orchestra), both based at the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra Building (Kölner Philharmonie).Other orchestras are theMusica Antiqua Köln,theWDR Rundfunkorchester KölnandWDR Big Band,and several choirs, including theWDR Rundfunkchor Köln.Cologne was also an important hotbed for electronic music in the 1950s (Studio für elektronische Musik,Karlheinz Stockhausen) and again from the 1990s onward. The public radio and TV stationWDRwas involved in promoting musical movements such asKrautrockin the 1970s; the influentialCanwas formed there in 1968. There are several centres of nightlife, among them theKwartier Latäng(the student quarter around the Zülpicher Straße) and the nightclub-studded areas aroundHohenzollernring,Friesenplatz and Rudolfplatz.

Water feature in Cologne, summer 2017

The large annual literary festivallit.COLOGNEwith itsSilberschweinpreisfeatures regional and international authors. The main literary figure connected with Cologne is the writerHeinrich Böll,winner of theNobel Prize for Literature.Since 2012, there is also an annual international festival of philosophy calledphil.cologne.

The city also has the most pubs per capita in Germany.Cologne is well known for its beer, calledKölsch.Kölschis also the name of the local dialect. This has led to the common joke of Kölsch being the only language one can drink.

Cologne is also famous forEau de Cologne(German:Kölnisch Wasser;lit: "Water of Cologne" ), a perfume created by Italian expatriateJohann Maria Farinaat the beginning of the 18th century. During the 18th century, this perfume became increasingly popular, was exported all over Europe by the Farina family andFarinabecame a household name forEau de Cologne.In 1803 Wilhelm Mülhens entered into a contract with an unrelated person from Italy named Carlo Francesco Farina who granted him the right to use his family name and Mühlens opened a small factory at Cologne's Glockengasse. In later years, and after various court battles, his grandsonFerdinand Mülhenswas forced to abandon the nameFarinafor the company and their product. He decided to use the house number given to the factory at Glockengasse during the French occupation in the early 19th century,4711.Today, original Eau de Cologne is still produced in Cologne by both theFarina family,in the eighth generation, and byMäurer & Wirtzwho bought the 4711 brand in 2006.

Carnival

TheCologne carnivalis one of the largest street festivals in Europe. In Cologne, the carnival season officially starts on 11 November at 11 minutes past 11 a.m. with the proclamation of the new Carnival Season, and continues untilAsh Wednesday.However, the so-called "Tolle Tage" (crazy days) do not start untilWeiberfastnacht(Women's Carnival) or, in dialect,Wieverfastelovend,the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the street carnival. Zülpicher Strasse and its surroundings, Neumarkt square, Heumarkt and all bars and pubs in the city are crowded with people in costumes dancing and drinking in the streets. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Cologne during this time. Generally, around a million people celebrate in the streets on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.

Rivalry with Düsseldorf

Main article:Rivalry between Cologne and Düsseldorf

Cologne andDüsseldorfhave a "fierce regional rivalry",which includescarnivalparades,ice hockey,football,and beer.People in Cologne preferKölschwhile people in Düsseldorf preferAltbier( "Alt" ).Waiters and patrons will "scorn" and make a "mockery" of people who order Alt beer in Cologne or Kölsch in Düsseldorf.The rivalry has been described as a "love–hate relationship".The Köln Guild of Brewers was established in 1396. The Kölsch beer style first appeared in the 1800s and in 1986 the breweries established an appellation under which only breweries in the city are allowed to use the term Kölsch.

Museums

Main article:List of museums in Cologne

The Museum Ludwig houses one of the most important collections ofmodern art.

Romanexcavationin Cologne:DionysusMosaic on display at Römisch-Germanisches Museum

• Farina Fragrance Museum– birthplace ofEau de Cologne
• Römisch-Germanisches Museum(Roman-Germanic Museum) – ancient Roman and Germanic culture
• Wallraf-Richartz Museum– European painting from the 13th to the early 20th century
• Museum Ludwig– modern art
• Museum Schnütgen– medieval art
• Museum für Angewandte Kunst–applied art
• Kolumba Kunstmuseum des Erzbistums Köln(art museumof the Archbishopric of Cologne) – modern art museum built around medieval ruins ofSt. Kolumba, Cologne,completed 2007
• Cathedral Treasury "Domschatzkammer" – historic underground vaults of the Cathedral
• EL-DE Haus– former local headquarters of theGestapohouses a museum documentingNazirule in Cologne with a special focus on the persecution of political dissenters and minorities
• German Sports and Olympic Museum – exhibitions about sports from antiquity until the present
• Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum– Chocolate Museum
• Geomuseum of the University of Cologne – the exhibition includes fossils (such as dinosaur bones and the skeleton of anEryops),stonesandminerals
• Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art – collections of Internet-based art, corporate part of (NewMediaArtProjectNetwork):cologne, the experimental platform for art and New Media
• Flora und Botanischer Garten Köln– the city's formal park and mainbotanical garden
• Forstbotanischer Garten Köln– anarboretumand woodlandbotanical garden

Music fairs and festivals

The city was home to the internationally famousRingfest,and now to the C/o pop festival.

In addition, Cologne enjoys a thriving Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) presence with several locations in the city.

Economy

North entrance toKoelnmesse,2008

Modern office building atRheinauhafen,EA Gamesheadquarters

As the largest city in theRhine-Ruhrmetropolitan region, Cologne benefits from a largemarket structure.In competition withDüsseldorf,the economy of Cologne is primarily based on insurance andmedia industries,while the city is also an important cultural and research centre and home to a number ofcorporate headquarters.

Among the largest media companies based in Cologne areWestdeutscher Rundfunk,RTL Television(with subsidiaries),n-tv,Deutschlandradio,Brainpool TVand publishing houses like J. P. Bachem,Taschen,Tandem Verlag,andM. DuMont Schauberg.Several clusters of media, arts and communications agencies, TV production studios, and state agencies work partly with private and government-funded cultural institutions. Among the insurance companies based in Cologne are Central, DEVK, DKV,Generali Deutschland,Gen Re,Gothaer,HDI Gerling and national headquarters ofAxaInsurance,Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance GroupandZurich Financial Services.

The German flag carrierLufthansaand its subsidiaryLufthansa CityLinehave their main corporate headquarters in Cologne.The largest employer in Cologne isFord Europe,which has its European headquarters and a factory inNiehl(Ford-Werke GmbH).Toyota Motorsport GmbH(TMG),Toyota's official motorsports team, responsible for Toyota rally cars, and thenFormula Onecars, has its headquarters and workshops in Cologne. Other large companies based in Cologne include theREWE Group,TÜV Rheinland,Deutz AGand a number ofKölschbreweries. The largest three Kölsch breweries of Cologne are Reissdorf, Gaffel, and Früh.

Brewery	Established	Annual outputin hectoliters
Heinrich Reissdorf	1894	650,000
Gaffel Becker & Co	1908	500,000
Cölner Hofbräu Früh	1904	440,000

Historically, Cologne has always been an important trade city, with land, air, and sea connections.The city has five Rhine ports,the second largestinland portin Germany and one of the largest in Europe.Cologne Bonn Airportis the second largest freight terminal in Germany.Today, theCologne trade fair(Koelnmesse) ranks as a major European trade fair location with over 50 trade fairsand other large cultural and sports events. In 2008 Cologne had 4.31 million overnight stays booked and 2.38 million arrivals.Cologne's largest daily newspaper is theKölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

Cologne shows a significant increase instartup companies,especially when considering digital business.

Cologne has also become the first German city with a population of more than a million people to declare climate emergency.

Transport

Main article:Transport in Cologne

Road transport

Majorroads through and around Cologne

Road building had been a major issue in the 1920s under the leadership of mayorKonrad Adenauer.The first German limited-access road was constructed after 1929 between Cologne andBonn.Today, this is theBundesautobahn 555.In 1965, Cologne became the first German city to be fully encircled by a motorway ring road. Roughly at the same time, a city centre bypass (Stadtautobahn) was planned, but only partially put into effect, due to opposition by environmental groups. The completed section becameBundesstraße ( "Federal Road" ) B 55a,which begins at theZoobrücke( "Zoo Bridge" ) and meets withA 4andA 3at the interchange Cologne East. Nevertheless, it is referred to asStadtautobahnby most locals. In contrast to this, theNord-Süd-Fahrt( "North-South-Drive" ) was actually completed, a new four/six-lane city centre through-route, which had already been anticipated by planners such asFritz Schumacherin the 1920s. The last section south ofEbertplatzwas completed in 1972.

In 2005, the first stretch of an eight-lane motorway inNorth Rhine-Westphaliawas opened to traffic onBundesautobahn 3,part of the eastern section of theCologne Beltwaybetween the interchanges Cologne East and Heumar.

Cycling

Cologne Stadtbahn atBensberg station

Train at Köln Hauptbahnhof

Compared to other German cities, Cologne has a traffic layout that is not verybicycle-friendly.It has repeatedly ranked among the worst in an independent evaluationconducted by theAllgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club.In 2014, it ranked 36th out of 39 German cities with a population greater than 200,000.

Rail transport

Cologne has a railway service withDeutsche BahnInterCityandICE-trains stopping atKöln Hauptbahnhof(Cologne Main Station),Köln Messe/DeutzandCologne/Bonn Airport.ICE andTGV Thalyshigh-speed trains link Cologne withAmsterdam,Brussels (in 1h47, 9 departures/day) and Paris (in 3h14, 6 departures/day). There are frequent ICE trains to other German cities, includingFrankfurt am Mainand Berlin. ICE Trains to London via theChannel Tunnelwere planned for 2013.

TheCologne Stadtbahnoperated byKölner Verkehrsbetriebe(KVB)is anextensivelight railsystem that is partially underground and serves Cologne and a number of neighbouring cities. It evolved from the tram system. NearbyBonnis linked by both the Stadtbahn and main line railway trains, and occasional recreational boats on the Rhine.Düsseldorfis also linked byS-Bahntrains, which are operated byDeutsche Bahn.

TheRhine-Ruhr S-Bahnhas 5 lines which cross Cologne. The S13/S19 runs 24/7 between Cologne Hbf and Cologne/Bonn airport.

There are also frequent buses covering most of the city and surrounding suburbs, andEurolinescoaches to London viaBrussels.

Water transport

Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln(Ports and Goods traffic Cologne, HGK) is one of the largest operators ofinland portsin Germany.Ports include Köln-Deutz, Köln-Godorf, and Köln-Niehl I and II.

Air transport

Cologne's international airport isCologne/Bonn Airport(CGN). It is also called Konrad Adenauer Airport after Germany's first post-war ChancellorKonrad Adenauer,who was born in the city and wasmayor of Colognefrom 1917 until 1933. The airport is shared with the neighbouring city ofBonn.Cologne is headquarters to theEuropean Aviation Safety Agency(EASA).

Education

Cologne is home to numerous universities and colleges,and host to some 72,000 students.Its oldest university, theUniversity of Cologne(founded in 1388)is the largest university in Germany, as theCologne University of Applied Sciencesis the largestuniversity of Applied Sciencesin the country. The Cologne University of Music and Dance is the largestconservatoryin Europe.Foreigners can have German lessons in the VHS (Adult Education Centre).

Public and state universities: University of Cologne(Universität zu Köln); German Sport University Cologne(Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln). Public and state colleges: Cologne University of Applied Sciences("Technology, Arts, Sciences TH KöLN" Technische Hochschule Köln); Köln International School of Design; Cologne University of Music and Dance(Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln); Academy of Media Arts Cologne(Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln); Private colleges: Catholic University of Applied Sciences (Katholische Hochschule Nordrhein-Westfalen); Cologne Business School; international filmschool cologne(internationale filmschule köln); Rhenish University of Applied Sciences (Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln) University of Applied Sciences Fresenius (Hochschule Fresenius)

Research institutes: German Aerospace Centre(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt); European Astronaut Centre(EAC) of theEuropean Space Agency; European College of Sport Science(ECSS); Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing(Max-Planck-Institut für die Biologie des Alterns); Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies(Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung); Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research (Max-Planck-Institut für neurologische Forschung); Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research(Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung). CologneAMS – Centre for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne Former colleges include: TheCologne Art and Crafts Schools(Kölner Werkschulen); The Cologne Institute for Religious Art (Kölner Institut für religiöse Kunst)

Lauder Morijah School (German:Lauder-Morijah-Schule), a Jewish school in Cologne, previously closed. After Russian immigration increased the Jewish population, the school reopened in 2002.

Media

Within Germany, Cologne is known as an important media centre. Several radio and television stations, includingWestdeutscher Rundfunk(WDR),RTLandVOX,have their headquarters in the city. Film and TV production is also important. The city is "Germany's capital of TV crime stories".A third of all German TV productions are made in theCologne region.Furthermore, the city hosts theCologne Comedy Festival,which is considered to be the largest comedy festival in mainland Europe.

Sports

RheinEnergieStadion is the stadium of 1. Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln.

Cologne hosts the football club1. FC Köln,who play in the1. Bundesliga(first division). They play their home matches inRheinEnergieStadionwhich also hosted five matches of the2006 FIFA World Cup.TheInternational Olympic Committeeand theInternational Association of Sports and Leisure Facilitiesgave RheinEnergieStadion a bronze medal for "being one of the best sporting venues in the world".The city also hosts the two football clubsFC Viktoria KölnandSC Fortuna Köln,who play in the3. Liga(third division) and theRegionalliga West(fourth division) respectively. Cologne's oldest football club1. FSV Köln 1899is playing with its amateur team in theVerbandsliga(sixth division).

Cologne also is home of the ice hockey teamKölner Haie,which is playing in the highestice hockeyleague in Germany, theDeutsche Eishockey Liga.They are based atLanxess Arena.

Several horse races per year are held atCologne-Weidenpesch Racecoursesince 1897, the annualCologne Marathonwas started in 1997 and the classic cycling raceRund um Kölnis organised in Cologne since 1908. The city also has a long tradition inrowing,being home of some of Germany's oldest regatta courses and boat clubs, such as theKölner Rudergesellschaft 1891or theKölner Ruderverein von 1877in theRodenkirchendistrict.

Japanese automotive manufacturerToyotahas their majormotorsportfacility known by the nameToyota Motorsport GmbH,which is located in the Marsdorf district, and is responsible for Toyota's major motorsport development and operations, which in the past included theFIA Formula One World Championship,theFIA World Rally Championshipand theLe Mans Series.They are working on Toyota's teamToyota Gazoo Racingwhich competes in theFIA World Endurance Championship.

Cologne is considered "the secret golf capital of Germany".The first golf club inNorth Rhine-Westphaliawas founded in Cologne in 1906.The city offers the most options and top events in Germany.

The city has hosted several athletic events which includes the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup,2006 FIFA World Cup,2007 World Men's Handball Championship,2010and2017 Ice Hockey World Championshipsand2010 Gay Games.

Since 2014, the city has hostedESL One Cologne,one of the biggestCS GOtournaments held annually in July/August atLanxess Arena.

Furthermore Cologne is home of theSport-Club Colonia 1906,Germany's oldest bo xing club, and theKölner Athleten-Club 1882,the world's oldest active weightlifting club.

Notable people

• Leon Draisaitl,ice hockey player
• Kim Petras,Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter
• Paul-Jürgen Weber,visual artist and photographer

Twin towns – sister cities

See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Cologne istwinnedwith:

• Barcelona,Spain (1984)
• Beijing,China (1987)
• Bethlehem,Palestine (1996)
• Cluj-Napoca,Romania (1976)
• Corinto,Nicaragua (1988)
• Cork,Ireland (1988)
• Esch-sur-Alzette,Luxembourg (1958)
• Indianapolis,United States (1988)
• Istanbul,Turkey (1997)
• Katowice,Poland (1991)
• Kyoto,Japan (1963)
• Liège,Belgium (1958)
• Lille,France (1958)
• Liverpool,England, United Kingdom (1952)
• Neukölln (Berlin),Germany (1967)
• El Realejo,Nicaragua (1988)
• Rio de Janeiro,Brazil (2011)
• Rotterdam,Netherlands (1958)
• Tel Aviv,Israel (1979)
• Thessaloniki,Greece (1988)
• Treptow-Köpenick (Berlin),Germany (1990)
• Tunis,Tunisia (1964)
• Turin,Italy (1958)
• Turku,Finland (1967)

Cologne also cooperates with:

• Dnipro,Ukraine (2022)

Former twin towns

• Volgograd,Russia (1988) - suspended in 2022

See also

• Stadtwerke Köln,the municipal infrastructure company, operator of the city's railways, ports, and other utilities
• New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany
• Hänneschen-Theater

External links

• Official website(in German, English, and multiple)