The History of Cologne: Recent Episodes
Willem Fromm
The History of Cologne is a podcast that tells the story of Cologne, Germany. It’s a city with 2,000 years worth of history and it has so much to tell! Listen to the city growing. Dive into the early history of the city being founded by the Romans. How did it become a bustling medieval city? How did Cologne perform during Napoleon and the Industrial Revolution? And how about the Nazi time? Triweekly schedule, going chronological from the Roman roots up until today. Where is this podcast now in the chronology: 991 AD. Next episode: 23rd May
How did the young Byzantine princess Theophanu become the richest woman in Europe at only 12 years old at the end of the 10th century? And how did she become the most powerful woman in Europe at the age of 24, with far-reaching effects on European history? In this episode, we will look at her breathtaking life and, of course, at the end, what all this actually has to do with Cologne itself.
Cologne in the middle of the 10th century. The largest city of medieval Germany just before the turn of the millennium. The city is experiencing a tremendous boom. Economic development, church building and a direct line to the emperor make this possible. Archbishop Bruno of Cologne, brother of Emperor Otto I, was behind this. We talk about his work in this episode.
Cologne's Frankish era is often overlooked. Yet this period was just as long as the Roman era. A whole 500 years! You can look back, but of course you can also look forward.
Cologne becomes the starting point of the so-called imperial church system that forms in eastern France in the middle of the 10th century. The little brother of Emperor Otto I, also called Otto the Great, becomes a big guy himself when he is elected Archbishop of Cologne in 953 and at the same time appointed Duke of Lorraine. As archduke, Bruno thus has more power than anyone else in the empire. With the exception of his big brother. What effects will this have for Cologne?
Cologne is in an intermediate phase around the year 900. In the whole region of the former Frankish Middle Kingdom of Lothar the question is going around, which empire can protect it better? To which sub-kingdom of Charles the Great's former Frankish empire do people feel more attached? The West Frankish Empire, which later became France? Or to the Eastern Frankish Empire, which later becomes the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Germany?
Only recently, the Vikings sacked Cologne in 881. While the people of Cologne are still busy rebuilding, new dangers are already approaching. The Magyars, also known as the Hungarians, are attacking the East Frankish Empire like the Huns in late antiquity. But it is not all bad at this time. Monastic life flourished and even minted coins designating Cologne as holy testify to the city's upswing here at the end of the early Middle Ages.
Cologne and the Rhineland at the end of the 9th century. For quite some time, the various heirs of the once great but now fragmented Frankish Empire have been fighting each other. The Vikings take advantage of this political instability and plunder the rich Rhineland, the heart of the Frankish Empire.
The answers to all your questions regarding the show or other topics about me or the history of Cologne.
The death of Charlemagne's son Emperor Louis the Pious starts a good old Frankish habit. Breaking up empires to equally share it to a emperor's sons. Cologne or rather the political leadership of Cologne, Archbishop Gunthar plays a key role in the middle of the 9th century.
Email-Adress for Q&A: thofcgn@gmx.de
Cologne during the Carolingian dynasty. A city in the heart of the Eastern Frankish Empire. In this episode we once again take a walk through the Cologne that might have been in the 9th century.
Email-Adress for Q&A: thofcgn@gmx.de
In the 9th century, a magnificent cathedral was built in Cologne. The predecessor of today's Cologne Cathedral in the form of a Carolingian basilica. Everything about this Romanesque building including two legends are this time the main part of this episode.
After 30 years of war between 772 and 804, Charlemagne subjugated the pagan Saxons in Northern Germany. With fire and sword, he brings the Frankish rule into the region and Christianity. With Cologne as the center of power as Archdiocese of Cologne for the next 1,000 years.
A fateful encounter at the end of the 8th century. A young priest named Hildebold is celebrating mass in a small village church just outside the city of Cologne. A huntsman enters the church and is immediately taken by the priest's modesty and piety. What Hildebold does not know, however. This man is not a hunter. He is Charlemagne. Why does the King of the Franks disguise himself as a hunter here in Cologne? You will find out in this episode.
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 to be the real ruler of the Frankish Empire. A bloody conflict arises between two Carolingians: stepmother Plektrudis in Cologne and her stepson Karl Martell. The conflict has its beginning but also its end in Cologne.
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 about Kunibert's remarkable career in this episode.
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 their dominion. Unlike other peoples of the so-called migration of peoples, they did not have to move far to find a new homeland like, for example, the Ostrogoths and Visigoths. But even if a map at that time suggests this. The rule of the Franks in the region is not completely uniform. Countless small princes rule their small area of influence as quasi warlords. In Cologne, a Frankish petty king named Sigibert resides in the Praetorium, Cologne's former governor's palace. He is worried about his small kingdom. For south of Cologne down the Rhine, the Alemanni have also extended their dominion and are expanding northward. To prevent Cologne from falling into the hands of the Alemanni, he asks his friend Clovis, who rules in northeastern Gaul, for help. Clovis agrees. What Sigibert does not know. Clovis himself not only wants to be ruler of his Frankish sub-kingdom. Clovis wants to be king of all Franks. And Sigibert stands in the way. The decision as to whether the Franks will live in a united empire in the future is made in Cologne around the year 500. Where else ;)
For SEO: Battle of Zülpich, Battle of Tolbiacum, St. Gereon, Köln, Germany
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 are besieging the city at this time. And no one less than Attila the Hun has an eye on the beautiful Ursula. What happens then is well known to every child growing up in Cologne. So it's time you learned it, too.
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 Cologne: the military commander Arbogast and the Christian bishop Severin of Cologne.
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 475. Surprisingly, the area around Cologne was supposed to remain comparatively quiet in the late 4th century.
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 Frankish rule was not to last long in Cologne, but it clearly showed the weakness of the Roman Empire.
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. Among them is the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who experiences and reports everything first hand. All this only happens in the year 355 and should lead to the greatest misfortune in the history of Cologne. But listen to it yourself.
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 Constantine, like hardly any other emperor, left visible traces in Cologne through his decrees. The incorporation of the present-day Old Town on the Rhine and the founding of Deutz, an important district of Cologne's city center on the other bank of the Rhine, can be traced back to his imitation. Through Constantine's turning to Christianity, Cologne became the center of early Christianity in the Germanic-Gallic border region.
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 small, often exclusive cults from the Orient, which are introduced to the Rhine by soldiers who have traveled far and wide. We look at the oldest Jewish community in Europe north of the Alps, which is said to have existed around the year 300 at the latest. And we take a look at the early followers of a religion that is so completely different, a religion that knows only one God, but at the same time worships an executed Jewish carpenter as the savior of the world: the early Christians.
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 capital of this Gallic Empire. It is turbulent but sadly with only a few written sources. But we will do our best to decipher this time in the best possible way. Why it lived on for 14 years and why it collapsed anyway, we will learn in this episode.
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 Franks.
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 will not conquer the Rhine side on the right bank of the Rhine. A good time to take a closer look at the political system of ancient Cologne and its surroundings. Especially the city senate, the high government offices of the city, and the governor will be examined more closely.
This fits well because in the next episode we will talk about the great Roman Trajan, who becomes governor of Cologne here in 98 AD. There he will be surprised to learn that he has become the new emperor. In contrast to Vitellius, however, in a completely legal way. But Trajan is, as already mentioned, the subject of the next episode.
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 in many parts of the city. Especially the Roman watchtowers. Learn more about these fascinating structures in this episode of The History of Cologne Podcast.
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 strike back. It will get messy, believe me! More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
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 of Cologne. The consequences for Cologne as a border town are horrible. At the end of the year 69 CE, our young city is besieged by the Germanic tribe of the Batavians and fears total destruction. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
„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
Dive into the founding phase of Cologne around the year 1 CE and explore how it was constructed as a satellite town. After the resettlement of the Ubii into the Cologne Lowland in around 19 BCE, the need for a central settlement is obvious. With the help of the Roman legions, the settlement of the Ubii „Oppidum Ubiorum“ is built. This settlement will turn out to be ancient Cologne. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
The Rhineland around the years of 38-15 BCE. Caesar is dead. His adoptive son Augustus becomes the first Roman emperor. In his attemps to secure the eastern border of Gaul, that is adoptive father Caesar had conquered, he sends his best friend and son-in-law Agrippa. There, Agrippa comes up with a plan and by doing that he will initiate the founding of Cologne in 19 BCE. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
Roman general and later dictator Gaius Julius Caesar is the first human ever to write about the Cologne Lowland. When Caesar attacks and conquers Gaul in 59 BCE, he also fights Germanic tribes on the Rhine. There, he encounters a Germanic tribe, the Ubii. The Ubii will be very important for Cologne‘s history. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
In this episode, we will talk about the time before there was a City of Cologne in the Rhineland. Just a big and fertile lowland, where half-nomadic people would live for many thousand years. Get to know how the climate here is and how it benefits Cologne's geography. If you are not really into all of that, skip this and go to the next episode about Caesar. NOTE: I had to re-record this first episode. For this, I already had a better microphone. Please do not wonder, that I sound quite different in the next episodes. I promise, when episode 6 comes out, I sound better again. :) More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN
The history podcast about the 2000-year-old City of Cologne (Köln) in Germany. Dive into the early history of the city being founded by the Romans? How did it become a bustling medieval city? How did Cologne perform during Napoleon and the Industrial Revolution? And how about the Nazi time? All of that narrated by a Cologne citizen. Triweekly schedule. More Info and Links to this podcast: linktr.ee/thofCGN