Allgemein, Roman Cologne

#10 Roman Emperor Trajan visits Cologne

#10 Roman Emperor Trajan visits Cologne – The History of 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.
Emperor Trajan

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.

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#95 The 1275 Friendship Treaty: Siegfried von Westerburg and Cologne’s New Gothic City Seal – The History of Cologne

In 1275, Cologne entered an unexpected agreement that reshaped its relationship with one of the most powerful men in the empire: the new Archbishop of Cologne. At the same time, the city received a remarkable new Gothic seal—an object that tells us more about medieval identity, politics, and ambition than any charter ever could. How did all this come together? And why did it matter so much? Join us as we follow the early moves in a story that will echo all the way to Worringen.
  1. #95 The 1275 Friendship Treaty: Siegfried von Westerburg and Cologne’s New Gothic City Seal
  2. #94 The Expulsion of the Wise Men and the Aftermath of the Battle of Ulrepforte
  3. #93 The Battle at Ulrepforte
  4. #92 Retrospective: High Medieval Cologne and the Rise of the Citizenry
  5. #91 From a Dance in the Streets to Chaos at the City Walls in 1265
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The Golden Era of the Roman Empire under Trajan

Rome at its height under emperor Trajan in 177. Click on the image to enlarge. Cologne is “Colonia Agrippina”.

Cologne’s Cardo Maximus/present-day “Hohe Straße” (engl.: “High Street”)

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE: Took this image in 2018 when I had the opportunity to take a two seater. Thank God, the weather was sunny. 🙂
Present-day Hohe Straße. It has remained it original course throughout 2,000 years of history. Walking here is walking through Roman Cologne basically. Picture taken by me in January 2020.

Capitoline Hill in Cologne

In the background you can see Cologne’s Capitoline Hill. The narrow, urban development unfortunately blocks our view. But you may notice that the church building is much higher than the surrounding street levels. I could only take the picture itself from the year 2015 because the building directly in front of me had been demolished. In the meantime there is of course a new building there, which isolates Capitoline Hill even more from the rest of the city. There was already a pagan-roman temple here 2,000 years ago. Later it was converted into a church. The present church “St. Mary in the Capitol” is already almost 1,000 years old. It was heavily destroyed in the 2nd World War. Only in 1984 it was rebuilt.

Trajan gets the news while his visit in Cologne that he is the new Roman Emperor. Contemporary depiction from the 15th century. Chronik of Koelhoff.

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