#16 Constantine and the birth of Deutz

#16 Constantine and the birth of Deutz – The History of Cologne

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.

Divitia / Castrum Divitium / Fort Deutz

Little bronze replica model of Fort Deutz at the historical place where the fort once stood.

How does the place where the Fort was look nowadays?

The Rhine river is now a little bit more narrow than 2,000 years ago. This former monestary was built on the foundations of the fort that existed up until the Middle Ages.

The view from the place of the Fort Deutz towards Cologne (north west). Where Cologne cathedral is at was the northern Roman city wall. The bridge that Constantine has built here is gone for good nowadays-

Cologne during Constantine the Great ca. 315 AD

How people in later times thought the bridge built by Constantine might have looked like 😀 This is not a true depiction of how it all looked like.

I tried to make a Map that shows where Roman Cologne would be in modern day Cologne. Notice how many streets still exist today. For example the ones marking the city wall (red) or Hohe Straße/Cardo Maximus (green). The Fort Deutz is the blue square on the right with the bridge (yellow)
To see the interactive map, go to https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1ipNI04cEJYDNqsapTakk5kzyr1ZTbs2T&ll=50.93599686860047%2C6.958051050000007&z=16