A man from the lower nobility of southern Germany becomes Archbishop of Cologne, crushes the power of the Ezzones in the Rhineland and kidnaps the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire: Anno II. is a man that is truly not forgotten in Cologne to this day.
The year is 1062: the young king of the Holy Roman Empire, Henry IV, a teenager, is celebrating a banquet with his mother on an island in the Rhine in what is now Düsseldorf. He has invited some of the princes of the empire to join him. Among them is Archbishop Anno II of Cologne. What happened following the banquet was to go down in the history books. In his childish enthusiasm, the Archbishop of Cologne lured the young king onto his magnificent ship and kidnapped him. Who was this Anno, a true political rising star for his time? Find out in this episode.
#44 The Coup of Kaiserswerth – The History of Cologne
The Coup of Kaiserswerth 1062 AD
Kaiserpfalz in Kaiserswerth (Palace)
The ruins of the palace in Kaiserswerth where Henry IV was kidnappes in 1062. Nowadays, the ruins are not on an island anymore due to the building of dams. You can actually visit the palace during daytime for free.
The Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century
Anno’s Victory over the Ezzonids
The History of Cologne Podcast 