An episode about relics, trade, politics and guilds Eigelstein Today’s Eigelstein city gate from the later 13th century. One of the last big three medieval city gates that still are around. Machabean Monastery The Maccabean Monastery in the 16th century. The monastery church here was later rebuilt because a fire destroyed the first church in 1462. The monastery was dissolved at the end of the … Continue reading #70 A short walk through Cologne in the first half of the 13th century

Young Hermann Josef is a poor boy at the end of the 12th century. But his life changes when he offers an apple to a statue of St. Mary. St. Mary and baby Jesus in St. Mary in the Capitol This statue from ca. 1180 is made out stone and not out of wood as being said in the episode. It is this statue according … Continue reading #66 The Legend of Hermann Josef and the Apple

When emperor Henry VI dies with just 32 years in 1197, the empire gets into a 20 years long dispute over the throne. And Cologne has a major part in it. Why? Because of economic interests. Archbishop Adolf of Altena The two candidates for the throne Hohenstaufen dynasty: Philip of Swabia Philipp of Swabia was a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty and King of Germany … Continue reading #65 The Throne Dispute of 1198

Why is the ugliest square in Cologne named after an emperor from the 12th century? Emperor Frederick I, also known as Barbarossa, was not always the best friend of Cologne. Nonetheless he was very important for Cologne’s development in the Middle Ages. Learn more about it in this episode. Barbarossaplatz Barbarossaplatz around 1900 Barbarossaplatz today Seven (!) main streets cross the square with cars and … Continue reading #64 Barbarossa and Cologne

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 … Continue reading #63 Cologne’s sneaky city expansion of 1179

From 1169 to 1178 Flemish cities in what is today Belgium were in a dispute with the city of Cologne about trade and the use of the Rhine River. At first, Cologne seems to lose this economic dispute but then they get help from the English king Henry II. English King Henry II saves Cologne in 1176 from an economic dispute the city was going … Continue reading #62 How England made Cologne’s merchants rich in the 12th century