An absentee lord prompted the citizens of Cologne to expand the city in 1179. They did so by doubling the size of the city with the largest medieval city wall in Europe at the time. Unfortunately, the mayor had not been asked for permission. Find out how that turned out in this episode.
Cologne’s City Expansion 1179
The the areas in green to the North (Niederich), to the South (Oversburg) and West around St. Apostles are the new areas that the citizens of Cologne included into the city’s fortification with trenches and ramparts in 1106. The outer brownish ring is the area that Cologne integrated in 1179/80.
Philipp of Heinsberg
14th century tomb of Philipp of Heinsberg in Cologne Cathedral. The city wall around him portrays him as the big city expander. That he never was.
Henry the Lion’s possessions
Cologne’s city wall in Anton Woensam’s painting from 1531
Tomb of Henry the Lion in Brunswick Cathedral
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The History of Cologne Podcast 