Cologne is the largest city located along the German portion of the Rhine River and is the fourth largest city in Germany. The history of Cologne dates back to a Roman settlement in 38 BC. Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany and it is well-known for the Gothic Cologne Cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has a reputation as one of Germany’s most relaxed city with a long standing tradition for massive Carnival celebrations.
Cologne is actually the French version of the city name which in Germany is Köln. The locals are very proud of their Kölsch beer which is served in seven ounce glasses. Kölsch is also the name of the local dialect.
Cologne Cathedral also known as Kölner Dom was the world’s tallest building when it was completed in 1880. It is the shrine of the Three Kings and it is Germany’s most visited landmark.
We have been blessed with excellent weather on our cruise downstream on the Rhine with the exception of today. With the light drizzle and the wind chill it made the conditions for the walking tour of the Old Town less than ideal.
During World War II Cologne suffered heavy bombing from 262 Allied air attacks, which devastated the Old Town with 95% destruction of buildings. The Cologne cathedral was hit 14 times by poorly targeted bombs. The Allied pilots tried to avoid bombing the cathedral as it served as a prominent landmark for targeting the the bombing raids of the city.
Cologne and the greater Rhineland have a romantic tradition which occurs on the night of April 30th each year. Young men search out cuttings from a birch tree and adorn it with colorful ribbons and a heart shaped sign with the name of their beloved inscribed. This symbol of their love is attached to the house of their girlfriend. This romantic May tree known in German as a Liebesmaien is a symbol of love and affection and a celebration of the arrival of spring.
Marriages in Cologne must have an official civil ceremony at the city hall. They can choose to have another wedding celebration in a religious or secular setting but they all must be officially wed at the City Hall.
The Story of Mrs. Schneider- Another tradition in Cologne is based on a legend involving the gnomes who for centuries performed all of the manual labor required in the city allowing the citizens to be lazy.
The gnomes were discovered by Mrs. Schneider, the curious wife of a local tailor. She scattered peas on the workshop stairs to catch the gnomes coming up from the basement and make them stumble. Upon hearing the noise, Mrs. Schneider went down to discover the gnomes at the bottom of the stairs.
This so enraged the gnomes that they disappeared forever and from that day forward the citizens of Cologne had to perform all of their own labor. This legend is commemorated in literature and in a statue near the cathedral.
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