UMGEBUNGSENTDECKER
TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS OF AN ART AND HISTORY LOVER
and my experiences as a teacher in China
Cologne's Romanesque churches
The churches in the old town of Cologne
The most famous church in Cologne is the cathedral - without a doubt.
But Cologne is also the only city in the world that has twelve large Romanesque churches. This valuable cultural heritage overlooks man as a visitor easily because the churches are rarely in the center of tourist activity. To find them you have to go a long way lay back, partly through quarters with annoyingly ugly post-war buildings go.
But it's worth it.
Exploring from church to church, I passed through nice neighborhoods with cafes and restaurants. I always mention them at the same time, because during the busy sightseeing trip you have to stop somewhere and relax. With good food and drink, the whole thing is really fun. And by the way, you get to know Cologne better.
St Cecilia
The twelve large Romanesque churches in the old town of Cologne.
To see the individual churches, simply click on their names.
CC BY-SA 4.0, map edited by SimplyMaps
Colognes Altstadt does not only consist of a few streets between the pedestrian zone and the Rhine, but the entire area inside the rings belongs to it. The rings (it's basically just one ring, but it keeps changing its name: Karolingerring, Sachsenring, Hohenzollernring, etc.) run in a semicircle around the old town, where the medieval city walls used to stand. GHowever, large parts of the old town do not look like old town at all. The reconstruction in Cologne was sometimes quite rough.
The old town is big. From the Severinstor, the southernmost of the medieval gates, to the Eigelsteintor in the very north, you walk a good 3.5 kilometers and this stretch, which runs parallel to the Rhine, is almost a straight line. If you want to visit the churches, you have to go back and forth through the city, that's a long way and you can't see all twelve churches in one day. Therefore, I divided them into three walks.
A little crash course in Romanesque
Before we start, some background information on the Romanesque period. If you don't want to, you canhereclick, then it goes directly to the first walk.
Romanesque - chronological classification
The Romanesque period as a cultural epoch can be dated between 950 and 1250. She will still once divided into early Romanesque, also
otton called architectural style, located at Developed by Emperor Otto I from 919 to 1024. Afterwards followed by the Salic Romanesque from 1024 to 1125 and finally the Hohenstaufen from 1138 to 1254.
The Bound System
The floor plan of a Romanesque church ideally has a "Gconnected System", in which all structures are proportionally related to each other. The dimension of this bound system is the crossing (in the sketch the "V"), the crossing point between the nave and the transept.
The nave consists of the central nave and the flanking aisles. The transept runs orthogonally to the nave.
crossing- Place of penetration of nave and transept. The square that forms there in the floor plan is the unit of measurement of the "bound system". Each bay in the nave has the same dimensions as the transept.The distances between the pillars or columns are also based on these dimensions. The parts of the transept and the chancel also correspond to the crossing dimensions. The two aisles are each half as wide as the central nave. A vault in the aisle corresponds to a quarter of the crossing.
The central nave of a basilica is separated from the two side aisles by columns or pillars that support round arches, so-called arcade arches. Columns in Romanesque churches always have a cube capital. The cube capital connects the round bearing surface of the column with the square impost.
The round arches typical of the Romanesque period usually begin on the impost.
Difference column - pillar
Säulen in romanischen Kirchen haben so gut wie immer ein Würfelkapitell. Das Würfelkapitell hat unten eine runde Auflagefläche auf der Säule und oben schließt es mit einer quadratischen Auflagefläche, dem Kämpfer, ab. An diese quadratische Fläche können die Rundbögen gut anschließen.
Half-columns are placed in front of a wall or, as in this example, in front of a pillar. This pillar has a semi-column placed in front of it on all four sides. The right semi-column is very high and leads to the vault in the central nave, so its capital is not visible.
There are also half pillars, so-called pilasters. Columns and pillars have capitals, so half-columns and pilasters also have capitals.
A pilaster without a capital is a pilaster.
The ceiling of a Romanesque church can differ significantly depending on the time it was built. While naves were covered with a flat wooden ceiling in the early Romanesque period, later barrel vaults were built of stone. A further development arose when two barrel vaults were crossed. From this developed the groined vault, a precursor to the Gothic ribbed vault.
Romanesque barrel vault
Groined vault, two barrels crossing each other giving rise to the ridges crossing diagonally
Above you can see the central nave of a church with a barrel vault. The height of the nave is unusual for the Romanesque period. Such a high barrel vault can be found in Speyer Cathedral.
To put it simply, architecture became finer and more ornate in each of the three phases (Ottonic, Salic, Staufen). While Ottonian, i.e. early Romanesque, buildings mostly still appear quite archaic, the number of building details in the Salic and Staufer periods increased steadily. Dwarf galleries, wall niches, arched friezes and pilaster strips structure walls and facades.
friezesandledgesdivide a facade horizontally. The difference: A frieze has a pattern that repeats itself rhythmically, in this case the small round arches, while a Sims forms a straight line.
A liseneis a sculptural, angular element that divides a wall vertically.
Salic architecture using the example of the Speyer Cathedral. Around the semicircleapseruns above onedwarf gallery, a corridor with many small columns and round arches. In the wall of the nave behind it there are five round archeswall niches. Above the niches runs aarched friezebelow the roof. More arched friezes can be found on both towers above the arched openings.
Dwarf galleries can also be found in Cologne churches, for example in the conches of Groß St. Martin, St. Apostles and the apses of St. Kunibert and St. Gereon. These construction details can be assigned to the late Romanesque period.
The figure above shows the wall elevation of a yoke, i.e. a segment der Wall inside, in the central nave. The wall segment is divided into three zones from bottom to top. Below the arcade arches through which you can see the aisle behind. The arched windows that can be seen in the arches of the arcade zone are in the wall of the aisle behind. In the second zone there are three triforiums, each with three small semicircular arches supported by two small columns. The gallery with the triforia shows that this elevation of the wall belongs to a late Romanesque church, as this zone was common in early Romanesque churcheswithout architectural elements, but painted with murals.
The uppermost zone of the wall elevation shows the clerestory, a window zone with further arched windows.
Walk 1 - Altstadt Mitte:
Great St. Martin, St. Maria in the Capitol,
St George, St Pantaleon
The first walk leads to churches built on Roman foundations. The Roman city was roughly rectangular in plan and is centrally located within the semi-circular medieval city.
about 550 meters, about 7 minutes
about 650 meters, about 8 minutes
about 350 meters, about 5 minutes
approx. 1 kilometer, approx. 13 minutes
Ancient Roman Cologne is outlined in red on the map. It had an almost rectangular floor plan. Two straight main streets ran through Cologne, one from west to east and one from north to south. Today's Hohe Straße and Hohe Pforte lie exactly on the former Roman north-south road.
Great St. Martin
From the train station, walk past the choir, i.e. the back of the cathedral, to the Alter Markt, from there into Mühlengasse and then right into Gasse An Groß St. Martin. Distance approx. 550 meters, running time approx. five minutes
Groß St. Martin seen from the fish market
Groß St. Martin is located outside the former Roman city. The area on which it stands used to be an island separated by a branch of the Rhine. The arm of the Rhine ran where the Alter Markt and the Heumarkt are today, two squares that have a strikingly elongated shape, which corresponds to the former course of the arm of the river.
Large St. Martin is one of the buildings that characterize the skyline of Cologne. If you look across to the old town from the Deutzer Ufer or the Hohenzollern Bridge, you can see the mighty tower towering impressively out of the houses. The church is older than the cathedral and is therefore Cologne's oldest landmark. The square tower is located above the crossing, i.e. where the nave and transept intersect. It is flanked by four slender, octagonal towers. The church dates from the Staufer period (1138-1252) and is accordingly richly decorated. Blind arches, semicircular friezes, window openings, dwarf galleries, etc. give the tower a magnificent appearance, which is continued by the three conches below. The tower is so dominant, both because of its size and because of its decorations, that you can almost overlook the rest of the church, which is hidden by the surrounding houses.
The Longhouse of Great St. Martin is relatively short compared to the proportions of the tower. It has only three bays and an intermediate bay in front of the crossing. But the space is high and the architectural possibilities of the damalgamated timeregarding the height fully exploited.Dhe tendency to build upwards, which later prevailed in the Gothic style, is already apparent here in the late Romanesque period of the Staufer period.
Great St. Martin was built on the foundations of a former Roman Lagerhauses was built, the floor plan of which has the same dimensions as the nave, ie the outer walls and pillars now stand exactly where the walls and pillars of the warehouse once were, which also had three naves. Even before the warehouse was built, there was a sports facility with a swimming pool on this site. The ancient Roman pool can man visit under the church.
Gothic elements can be found everywhere, e.g. pointed arches in den Triforien over the arched arcades in the long house (three openings in the second zone, which are right next toeach other and supported by small pillars). Die ceiling adorns a gothic ribbed vault. The four corners of the crossing also anticipate Gothic stylistic elements, in that half-columns were placed in front of pilasters. This achieves a complex structure reminiscent of bundles of services, also an element of the Gothic period.
St. Mary in the Capitol
I leave Groß St. Martin and my way leads me further to St. Maria im Kapitol, Distance approx. 650 meters, running time: 8 minutes. It goes over the Alter Markt, the Heumarkt, then over the Augustinerstraße and straight ahead. On the left is the "Zur Malzmühle" brewery, where Bill Clinton dined, and I turn right into Plectrudengasse, where I can see the east side of St. Maria im Kapitol falls.
View of the east side of St. Maria im Kapitol., In front the steps leading up the Cologne Capitoline Hill.
In Ancient Rome there was a temple for the supreme Roman gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. the stood on the Capitol, one of the hills of Rome. In Cologne, too, there is a Capitol Hill, a barely perceptible elevation, but better than nothing. WWhen you go to church todayApproaching from Plectrudengasse, you have to go up a few steps and at this point you will notice the mini hillock that Hwing, the koil sche Capitol. built there the Romans as in the capital city a Capitoline Temple. A church was later built on its foundations. From this derives its mysterious name St. Maria im Kapitol. It would be more logical if they Mariaauf the Capitol would be called, since it stands on the former Capitol Hill.
There was already 400 years before this church was built already a nunnery, which was founded around 690 by the abbess Plectrudis was founded. The monastic precinct surrounded the Capitoline Temple. Plectrudis came from a wealthy Austrasian
noble family and married into the ruling family of the Pippinids (perhaps known from Pepin the Elder), the forerunners of the later Carolingians. She is the step-grandmother of Karl the big one. In the church there is a sarcophagus with a Romanesque tombstone showing her likeness. Her bones were in there, but they have been since the second world war lost.
The current church was consecrated in 1065. The client was Abbess Ida, a granddaughter of Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. At the same time, Ida was the sister of the abbess Theophanu of Essen. Coming from the imperial family, she had St. Maria decorated with symbols of power in the Capitol. More on that later.
To get to the entrance you have to go around the church, it is lying on the west side.
One enters the site through a barred gate from Kasinostraße and enters the cloister of a former monastery.
About den western Round arches of the cloister rise up on the first floor of a residential building's loggias. It looks strange, but in Cologne you are used to a lot in terms of urban development.
From the cloister there are a few steps up to the church.
Upon entering, you can only see the central nave up to a rood screen, which is behind the crossing and the eastern part obscured.
A Lettner separates the nave from the choir area and thus two groups of the church, namely the clergy from the laity, in other words,from the common people, who understood nothing anyway, because until the 60s of the 20. century in catholic churches die liturgy was held in Latin. Both groups each had their own altar. In St. Maria im Kapitol the altar for the people is in a niche des rood screen, der Community facing in the central nave, the second altar, in the east apse, which lies behind the rood screen.
This rood screen is the earliest Renaissance work in Cologne. Built in 1525, it is made of dark granite, bluestone and white limestone from Belgium and depicts scenes from the life of Jesus on the west side and depictions of the Last Supper and typological scenes from the Old Testament on the east side.
Within the city walls of ancient Colonia Claudia Ara Aggripinensium there was a Capitoline Temple dedicated to Zeus, Juno and Minerva. Also in Rome, der capital city of the empire, there was also such a temple on Capitol Hill. ECorrespondingly, a higher location was also sought in Cologne in order to build the Capitoline temple there. They were found and the temple was built there, on the foundation of which slater the current church was built, from which its mysterious name St. Maria im Kapitol derives. WWhen approaching the church today, for example from the street "Am malt book" via the Plectrudengasse you have to go up a few steps to the church and you will find that it is on a kind of mini hill, the Capitol in Cologne is located.
It is the largest of the Romanesque churches in Cologne. It was consecrated in 1065. It was built on the model of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, like the Church of the Nativity has a Dreikonchenanlage, so there is not only an apse as the eastern end of the nave, but one more each in the north and south. Since all three apses have the same shape and size, the floor plan shows the pattern of a three-leaf clover, which is why the three-conch complex is also known as the cloverleaf choir.
As already mentioned, the abbess Ida endowed the church with
symbols of domination. If you are in the nave turns and looking to the west, you will notice a two-story opening divided by four columns. behind is a gallery. This element is similar to the galleries in Aachen Cathedral. It serves as a reference to Charlemagne, who was worshiped by the Ottonians. Ida left it here in die Church einbauen to express their claim to power as a member of the Ottonian imperial family.
A comparable element can also be found in Essen Cathedral on the west wall of the nave. Ida and the Essen abbess Theophanu were sisters. Perhaps this is what caused the similarity in the architecture of the churches conditions (Do you want to see this latticework of columns in Aachen Cathedral? Clickhere.Do you want to see this pillar lattice in Essen Cathedral? clickhere.)
Another expression of the claim to power is the construction of the church based on the model of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Both churches
have a three-conch structure and the dimensions of St. Mary in the Capitol correspond exactly to those of the Church of the Nativity. A three-conch complex consists of three apses, not only the eastern one, but one more each as a conclusion of the northern and southern transept.
The ground plan with three semicircular conches (apses) in the east, north and west.
© public domain
Since all three apses have the same shape and size, the floor plan shows the pattern of a three-leaf clover, which is why the three-conch complex is also known as the cloverleaf choir.
There are often three-conch systems in Cologne. The Church Groß St. just seen beforeMartin also has one as well as St. Apostles on Neumarkt.
The wooden door in the southern side aisle is particularly worth seeing and is considered to be the most important, completely preserved wooden door in art history. It was made in the 11th century, installed in 1060 as an outer door on the north conche, where - it's hard to believe - it served as an outer door for over 900 years, until it was finally brought inside in 1930 to protect it from weathering.
This door depicts scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. The braided band ornaments that surround the individual fields are remarkable. Influences of Celtic ornamentation can be clearly seen, as they were made in Ireland in particular and later adopted in Germany on the island of Reichenau in Lake Constance.
When visiting the Romanesque churches in Cologne, one will again and again come across Roman foundations forming the foundation walls of the churches, for example St. George, which was built on the walls of an old customs station that was located outside the gates of ancient Cologne , or St. Pantalheon, which was built on the walls of a Roman country estate outside the ancient city walls.
St George
The Church of St. George is just a few minutes from St. Maria located in the Capitol, distance: 300 meters, walking time 5 minutes. It goes left along Kasinostraße, then right into Stephanstraße and the next left again into Hohe Pforte. Straight ahead to the Mühlenbach, which you cross, and that's it you can see St. George in front of you.
Here you are again outside the walls of ancient Cologne. The Mühlenbach runs exactly along the old Roman city wall, fragments of which can still be seen. A Roman military post was located in front of the city wall, protecting the military road to the south. St. George stands on its foundations today.
At that time there was the southern Roman city gate on the Hohe Pforte street and the Hohe Pforte was Colonia's main street, which once ran straight through the city to the northern Roman city gate. Today this is the Hohe Straße pedestrian zone.
The red line shows the boundary of the ancient Roman city. You can clearly see that St. George was right in front of the gates of the ancient city, just in front of the Main axis of the Roman city, today's Hohe Pforte/Hohe Straße.
Upon entering, one first passes a porch full of votive tablets. Originally, this was a walk to the Jakobskirche, which no longer exists. The silence in the church room behind is impressive. As is so often the case in Romanesque churches, the noisy, lively city is left out and you find yourself in a room of meditative silence. It is not uncommon for a few people to sit devoutly on the benches, some praying. It used to be more common, people would go to church after shopping, put down their plastic bags and seek peace and closeness to God. Piety was high in Cologne, but the trend is decreasing today.
St. George was a typical column basilica, ie the arcade arches separating the central and side aisles were supported exclusively by columns. These columns were finished with cube capitals. Since Conversions in the Gothic style, columns and pillars alternate as a so-called Rhenish column change (alternating change of column and pillar). Originally there was a round window in the clerestory above each arcade arch. This, too, has changed after medieval conversionschanged, when a groined vault was drawn in. Until then, the nave had a flat wooden ceiling.
The original building was built in the years after Bishop Anno von founded the monastery of St. George1056 until 1067.
The church has an east and a west choir. The latter is housed in the cubic extension from the Staufer period.
St George's crucifix from 1067 is remarkable. A replica hangs in the church, the original can be seen as a torso in the Schnüttgen Museum.
In the south transept is an altarpiece by Barthel Bruyn the Younger from 1558 depicting the Lamentation of Christ. (Barthel is the son of Bartholomäus Bryn the Elder. More about this? Clickhere.)
St. George was already restored in the 1920s. and at that time received its interior, which was left exposed to stone and plaster. This is how the original condition of Romanesque churches was imagined at the time.Actually flowed into this Restoration of the contemporary taste of the emerging new building and modernism, in which dthe art of the 19th century with their figural paintings, associated colored windows, altars, pulpits was massively rejected.
The forty windows of the church, for which the Dutch, in Germany
living artist Thorn Prikker 1928 den order got, are with your
strict constructive pictorial conception and the geometrically abstract forms are also an expression of these modern conception of art, which opposes figurative window paintings of the 19thcentury directed.
What can be seen today is the reconstruction of a church that was totally destroyed in the war. Nevertheless, compared to all other Romanesque churches in Cologne, St. George already looked like this before the war. The reconstruction of all twelve churches was based on the modern appearance of St. George, so that the simplicity of the modern flowed into the post-war idea of the Romanesque.
Over the centuries, churches have been repeatedly rebuilt, baroque styled, etc., so that their original condition can hardly be deduced.
What is certain, however, is that the churches in the Middle Ages were more colorful than today, for example the area between the arcades and the clerestory was always decorated with wall paintings.
St. Panteleimon
We leave St. Georg, go back to the Mühlenbach and see the towers of St. Pantaleon on the left about 1 km away. After a longer walk of about 15 minutes along the noisy Blaubach and Rothgerberbach street, we reach the Max-Dietlein-Park where the church is located.
The site is on the outskirts of the former Roman city and like all the churches on this itinerary, St Pantaleon was built on the foundations of a Roman building, in this case a villa suburbana, a farm. Der Kölner Archbishop Bruno, a brother of Emperor Otto the Great, founded a Benedictine monastery there in 955 and had St. Pantaleon built from 957. Around 980 Empress Theophanu had the Build the westwork and add monumental sculptures that have now disappeared, but the fragmentary remains of which can be seen in the lapidary in the gallery of the church. The side aisles were only added in the 12th century. St. Pantaleon, with its Ottonian nave and westwork, is one of the oldest churches in Cologne.
Saint Bruno, the founder of the convent, lies in a sarcophagus in the crypt of the church. Empress Theophanu was also buried in the church. Her sarcophagus is in the West part of St. Pantaleon. It was her express wish to be buried there.
Theophanu, the Byzantine princess
Theophanu came from Byzantium and had come to Germania in the Holy Roman Empire to kill Otto II, Son des Kaisers Otto the Great to marry in 972. The magnificent marriage certificate is now in the State Archives in Wolfenbüttel. (Do you want to see the certificate? clickhere.)
Otto II and his wife Theophanu are crowned and blessed by Christ. Probably around 982/82, an ivory panel possibly carved in Milan (Musée de Cluny, Paris CI 392)
To negotiate this marriage Archbishop Bruno was previously in 971 as Envoy traveled to Byzantium. During this undertaking he also procured the body of Saint Panteleimon, who came from Asia Minor, as a relic for Cologne.
Perhaps Theophanu wanted to be buried in this church because the proximity of the Greek saint gave her a sense of home.
It must be remembered that Theophanu was little more than a child when she arrived in the utterly alien country north of the Alps at the age of just twelve. Germania was culturally and climatically infinitely far removed from Byzantium. Incidentally, her then husband Otto II was 17 years old zum time of the wedding either particularly alt.
The marriage was planned because the problem of two emperors had existed again since Charlemagne. The only legitimate successor state to the Roman Empire was since dem demise Western Romans the Byzantine Empire. Charlemagne, however, continued the succession of the empire in the West with his coronation as Roman Emperor in 800. The wedding of a Byzantine, Eastern Roman Princess and the Western Successor of the Roman Emperors was a diplomatic act between the two state entities, with which Byzantium officially established Otto's empire
acknowledged. This was a brilliant coup for the Ottonians, because they benefited more from it than the Byzantines. The Germanic kings had gained significant power since Charlemagne. Charles succeeded in conquering and converting the area between the Rhine and the Weser to Christianity. With that he had achieved what the Romans had failed were, the conquest of Germania. Otto I had put the Hungarians to flight for all time in the important Battle of Lechfeld and he continued the Christianization to Germania in the area of today's Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. In Byzantium, too, one could no longer avoid these new important rulers.
Theophanu brought untold treasures as a dowry, as well as craftsmen, architects and artists from Byzantium. Cultural was Byzantium clear consider. A look at the Hagia Sophia is enough and you get an idea of the cultural achievements on the Bosporus since centuries was capable. This cultural import led to the creation of the otton art whose Treasures can be admired today in the cathedral treasury of Halberstadt, Quedlinburg or Essen(for the cathedral treasure in Essen, clickhere,for the cathedral treasure in Quedlinburg, clickhere).
Theophanu must have wondered, where she had ended up, when she came to Germania, the land of misty, swampy forests, of rainy-grey weather, of endless winters, a land where there was no capital with palaces, but only a roving about from Palatinate to Palatinate, some of which at best resembled larger estates (excavations of a Palatinate in full extent bei Tileda in Saxony-Anhalt give an impression of a complete palace complex, which actually does not look like a ruler's residence, but rather like a Germanic Village with a few stone buildings.Do you want to see how the Pfalz Tileda looked like? clickhere.).
Despite this, her marriage to Otto II seemed to be working out well. The importance of Otto probably first became clear to her at an Easter festival in Quedlinburg, when the entire world at that time sent their representatives and diplomats to Otto II to pay homage to him. Theophanu was a docile woman, and Otto II had also received the best education that was conceivable at the time from his powerful father. Both led the empire successfully until Otto II contracted malaria in Italy. In this situation, Theophanu and her mother-in-law Adelheid summoned the princes of the Holy Roman Empire to a court in Verona, at which the princes proclaimed Theophanu and Otto's three-year-old son King Otto III. chose. Otto II died in Rome in 983, where he was buried in St. Peter's Basilica. His tomb is now in the holy Vatican grottoes. From then on, Theophanu had to take responsibility for the realm alone, since her son was still an infant. The children's crown for Otto III. which he received at the coronation ceremony in Aachen Cathedral is now in the Essen Cathedral Treasury (to see it, clickhere). Guardian of Otto III. According to Germanic law, his uncle was the Bavarian Heinrich the Zänker, who both Otto III. as well as received the imperial insignia. Henry the Brawler wanted to seize power as king, but the princes had already given Otto III. sworn allegiance. With a great deal of diplomatic skill and political foresight, Theophanu succeeded in winning over the princes, defeating Henry the Brawler and later making him a loyal follower who no longer questioned her power as Empress. She also found a faithful follower in her mother-in-law, which after initial difficulties did not seem likely. Theophanu managed to turn their adversaries into loyal allies.
She was a politician and diplomat through and through, who dedicated her life entirely to the service of the Ottonians and the Empire. In her short life she led together with her mother-in-law and had become the most powerful woman in the West.
The Church of St. Pantaleon is currently being completely renovated and can only be entered by believers to pray in a small side room through a side entrance, otherwise the complete inner space filled with a framework (as of summer 2022). Therefore there are no photos until further notice from the interior.
The slab on Theophanus' life dates is embedded in the pavement in front of Magdeburg Cathedral. Magdeburg and the Harz foothills were the cultural and political center of the empire under the Ottonian rule.
Quarter Latang
St. Pantaleon is next to the Greek market district in a quiet, less lively area that hasn't been as gentrified as some other Veedel. The name Greek market district is believed to derive from the Greek saint St. Pantaleon, who lies in the church.
If you are looking for nice cafes and restaurants, I would personally walk a little further to Barbarossaplatz. It's still about 800 meters, but it's worth it. That's where the week beginsartier Latäng, the student quarter of Cologne, between Moselstrasse, Zülpicher Strasse, Luxemburger Strasse and Hohenstaufenring. Here you will find numerous places to go out, cafés and restaurants such as Oma Kleinmann, where you can get all kinds of veal escalopes. if if you like it contemplative and quiet, this might be Not the right address, but here you can sit at the bar with a Kölsch and at the same time enjoy the koil sche Experience the way of life when a stranger is next door suddenly told all his frustration about 1. FC Köln or the rest of his life.
Walk 2, Old Town North
St. Kunibert/ St. Ursula/ St. Andreas/ St. Gereon/
Friesian Quarter and Belgian Quarter
12 minutes, 950 meters
9 minutes, 700 meters
850 meters, 11 minutes
St Kunibert
The large Basilica of St. Cunibert enriches the northern city silhouette with its two west towers and the apse choir, which lead to the nearby
are aligned with the Rhine. Even if the church is not as high as the Dom or Groß St. Martin, it is a remarkable building when viewed from the opposite bank of the Rhine. It is the youngest of Cologne's Romanesque churches. Its construction began in 1210, during the centuries were repeatedly destroyed by fire, storms or war until it got its current appearance in 1993. Even by the Year of the Romanesque Churches in 1985, when all twelve churches had risen from the ruins in new splendor after the war, St. Kunibert was not fully restored. At first glance, it appears more Romanesque than other churches in Cologne. This is perhaps due to the clarity of the building or the fact that little of the Baroque, Gothic, etc. was added.
Two things are at St. Kunibert bespeciallyto emphasize: The wonderful ringing of the bells, the second largest in the city after the cathedral and the stained glass windows, which were removed during the war and could therefore be saved.
St. Kunibert's bell
Altogether St. Kunibert has 24 bells, ten of which can be rung, the other 14 form a carillion. The two smallest ringable bells are in the ridge turret on the western transept. They were cast in 1422 and 1453, making them the oldest in the church. Three other bells were recast in 1773 by the Belgian bell founder Martin Legros from the metal of the previous larger bells. They survived the west tower collapsing in a storm in 1830. In 1943, the bells were ready to be picked up to be melted down for the armaments industry, the tower collapsed again, this time from bombing. The smallest of the threeBells became a victim of the flames. The two large ones were saved by the collapse because they were buried under the rubble, could not be picked up and were recovered unharmed after the end of the war. They are from the late baroque period, 1773, and are therefore the second oldest in the church. In 1958 two new bells were built in Westphalia cast, which formed the bells of St. Kunibert until the 1990s with the small bells from the roof turret. When the west tower was completed in 1990 (as I said, St. Kunibert was the last church to be completely restored after the war), consideration was given to adding the third bell from the Legros chimes. But since the bell tower offered a lot of space, four bells were commissioned in the Netherlands. These bells were inaugurated in 1993 with a great bell concert.
Never before has the bell been as lavishly equipped as it has been in the last thirty years. It's a Adventure, when the bells ring out on high holidays.
Do you want to hear the bells ringing? clickhere.
The Romanesque stained glass windows of St. Kunibert
Eight windows from the period 1220-1230 still exist in St. Kunibert in the place for which they were originally intended. Five of them in the apse (photo above), two in the north transept and one in the south transept.
In the apse, in the upper row of windows in the center, the Root of Jesse is depicted, to the left of it the story of St. Clement and to the right the story of St. Cunibert (however, in the photo the Cunibert's window has been replaced with a white pane. It may be there now in restoration.)
In the smaller windows below, Saint Cordula is depicted on the left and Saint Ursula on the right. The middle window is new.
The two windows in the north transept show Saints Cecilia and Catherine, in the south house John the Baptist.
Since the windows were usually donated by wealthy citizens, you can see the donors at the bottom of all saints' windows at the foot of the respective saint.
St Kunibert's has a bright interior, most of the Romanesque stained glass windows were removed during the 18th century and replaced with flint glass windows to let in more light. It got lighter, but the precious windows have since gone. The windows in the apse were not removed because there was a baroque high altar in front of it, so the old windows were not a problem here, as they were not visible anyway.
Three Naves form the nave, above the north and south transept rise the two east towers, inside a crossing and behind them the chancel with the apse. Apart from the ribbed vault and some slightly pointed arches, the church is consistently Romanesque.
Eigelstein district
The path continues in the direction of the Eigelsteinviertel (approx. 600 meters, 8-minute walk) and from there to the Church of St. Ursula. The "Eigelstein" is a multicultural street, very lively with many Turkish shops and a few brewpubs in between. This old Roman military road led straight out of the city, heading north to Neuss. At the Eigelsteintorburg, one of Cologne's three preserved city gates, ended the medieval town. The district is inviting, and anyone who wants to stay here will find one of the most traditional Cologne districts. Recommended restaurants include the "Weinhaus Vogel" since 1898 with a beer garden. In addition to Gaffel Kölsch, Würzburger Hofbräu and their own brew, there are also twenty wines by the glass, the "Em Kölsche Boor" inn, one of the oldest surviving bars in Cologne, which has been serving for 250 years, or "Anno Pief", not directly in the Eigelstein, but next door in the side street "Im Stavenhof", where you can sit on old pews, although the economy is young, it was only founded in the 80s.
The anecdote about the conspicuous name Eigelstein is also interesting. It is derived from the French Porte d'Aigle, which is what the French called the city gate during the occupation, which was actually called the Eagle Gate. "Aigle" was Germanized to "Eigel" and this became the Eigelstein.
We continue south, i.e. the main station, pass under the railway tracks and directly behind it we turn right into the street "Ursulaplatz" (approx. 550 meters, 7 minutes on foot).
St. Ursula
Saint Ursula is the patron saint of Cologne. Everything in the church revolves around its legend. Her story can also be seen in the Cologne coat of arms. Eleven black, drop-like shapes on a white background stand for the eleven virgins with whom Ursula died a martyr's death near Cologne. The three crowns above stand for the Holy Three Kings whose bones lie in Cologne Cathedral and the colors red and silver stand for the fact that Cologne was a Hanseatic city. All Hanseatic cities have red and silver in their coats of arms.
The black drops on a white background remind me of the ermine coats of aristocratic rulers. But I haven't found any reference to it anywhere.
What is the legend about: Ursula was a Britannian king's daughter who made a pilgrimage to Rome accompanied by eleven maidens. She wished to marry, but required her betrothed, Aetherius, to be baptized and to give her three years to marry. During these three years she traveled to Rome, up the Rhine to Basel, from where she continued on foot. An angel appeared to her near Cologne, prophesying martyrdom for her. On the return journey, Ursula and her maidens passed Cologne again, which was now besieged by the Huns. The Huns slaughtered the virgins and Ursula, who refused the Hun leader, was also killed by an arrow himself. Since then, she has always been represented with the arrow.
Saint Ursula with the arrow.
Ssculpture in the Marienschiff, a southern extension of St. Ursula
Later, during excavations, where the church stands today, bones were found that were believed to be the bones of Ursula and her virgins. But there were more than the bones of eleven women, since a Roman burial ground had been found, and so the number 11 was quickly changed to 11,000.
The Golden Chamber
The bones of the 11,000 virgins can be seen in the church's Golden Chamber. The walls of this room are adorned with ornaments made of bone, the skulls are on narrow shelves behind carved, gilded leaf tendrils, each skull is kept in an embroidered piece of fabric, so that the skulls can only be recognized at second glance. In general, the ignorant After a while, visitors wake up with a shuddering realization that these strange wall ornaments are made of human bones.
The Golden Chamber has nothing to do with the Romanesque period. Such vanitas excesses only came into fashion in the Baroque era, when people reveled in the sight of skulls and all that was ephemeral. Besides, the Baroque age was the timeof the Counter-Reformation, so the veneration of relics was very popular. In 1643 the imperial council donated Johann von Crane and his wife Maria Verena the treasury for the relics. The Golden Chamber is on the right when you enter the church in a south-west extension, the Marienschiff.
In the Gothic choir of the church there is a replica of the ship that Ursula and her companions are said to have sailed on the Rhine. The eleven black drops can be seen again on the sail. The Gothic choir was only added in the second half of the 13th century. It looks like an oversized reliquary. In total, the choir has eleven large tracery windows, which also refer to the eleven maidens.
In the choir, on the walls below the windows, is the "Great Ursula Cycle", a depiction of the Ursula legend comprising thirty images. The paintings were made during the Renaissance by an unknown painter from Stephan Lochner's workshop.
Painting of the Great Ursula Cycle by a painter from Stephan Lochner's workshop.
Here the 11,000 virgins are shown being killed by the Huns.
View of the Gothic choir. Pictures from the Great Ursula Cycle from Stefan Lochner's workshop hang under the tracery windows.
At the end of the chancel is a Gothic high altar, on whose Pedrella eleven relief-like virgins are attached under Gothic arcades. Above are the two shrines of Ursula and her fiancé Aetherius. The Aetherius shrine with the half-ton cover was made around 1170. The Shrine of Ursula is a product of the second half of the 19th century. century. The original shrine had been stolen by French troops. Since then he has been missing. Some enamel plates and script friezes of the old shrines were still found and in the new shrine integrated.
In the northern transept is another sarcophagus of Saint Ursula, made in the Baroque style around 1659 from black marble for the base and white alabaster for the statue.
We have now found all styles: Gothic annexes, Renaissance paintings, Baroque reliquaries. Where is the Romanesque church?
The architecture of the west building, i.e. the entrance, up to and including the transept is Romanesque. Today's Romanesque part of the church is a building from the 12th century.As usual, over the centuries much changes. The flat ceiling was replaced by a Gothic vault that was lost in World War II. The west gallery was built in, the Marian nave was added to the south aisle, the Gothic choir was added and there were many other alterations. The central and side aisles still correspond to the form they had in the 12th century.
St Andrew
Our path continues to St. Andreas (approx. 600 meters, walking time: 8 minutes), a small but quite beautiful church in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral. In this area, everyone only wants one thing: the mighty cathedral. It's not bad, but St. Andreas is full of surprises too.
The small church of St. Matthew am used to stand on this sitemoat. Here you are directly at the no longer existing ditch in front of the former Roman city wall. The church grounds were right outside the gates of ancient Cologne. A small part of the former Roman city gate can still be seen on the cathedral slab.
Archbishop Bruno, brother of Emperor Otto I (we already know him from St. Pantaleon, where he is also buried), had this church demolished and replaced by the Romanesque St. Andrew's Church. That already happened in the 10th century. Of this new Ottonian building is not much to see anymore due to constant renovations. The church as it appears to us today was completed in 1491 and at first glance it looks rather Gothic from the outside - except for the tower.
From the inside you get the same impression. Ribbed vaults, bundle pillars - but also round arches.
Two small relics from the Salic Romanesque period can be seen inside. There were stair towers that led to the crossing on the outside of the old church. Now they are inside the building. In the photo below with a view through the southern aisle, you can see the southern, Salic stair tower at the very end with two arched windows one on top of the other and an arched door that leads into the tower at ground level. The thin black pillars are Roman antique as are the Roman columns in the entrance hall.
The clustered pillars separating the central nave from the side aisles look a bit oversized for this rather small church, but the spatial impression is overwhelming, also due to the use of light and dark gray sandstone, which gives the church a certain colourfulness. The finely worked capitals with den Foliage is also Gothic and refines the impression not only with its filigree appearance, but also with the sand-colored stone.
Die Bündelpfeiler, die das Mittelschiff von den Seitenschiffen trennen, wirken etwas überdimensioniert für diese recht kleine Kirche, aber der Raumeindruck ist überwältigend, auch durch die Verwendung von hell-und dunkelgrauem Sandstein, der der Kirche eine gewisse Farbigkeit gibt. Die fein gearbeiteten Kapitelle mit den Blattwerken sind ebenfalls gotisch und verfeinern den Eindruck nicht nur durch ihr filigranes Aussehen, sondern auch durch den sandfarbigen Stein.
Bemerkenswert sind die Wandmalereien in den Seitenkapellen, die die napoleonische Zeit und den zweiten Weltkrieg überlebt haben. Besonders der Zyklus mit Szenen aus dem Leben Jesu und Mariae ist hervorzuheben. Er zeigt Momente von der Verkündigung über die Geburt, dem Erscheinen der Heiligen Drei Könige bis zur Kreuzigung.
Noteworthy are the murals in the side chapels, which survived the Napoleonic period and the Second World War. Especially the cycle with scenes from the life of Jesus and Mariae deserves a special mention. It shows moments from the Annunciation to the Birth, the Appearance of the Three Wise Men to the Crucifixion.
Albert Magnus
Albertus Magnus lies in a Roman sarcophagus in the crypt. The University of Cologne was named after him. He was a medieval polymath who taught in Paris and Cologne. He studied the writings of Aristotle intensively. It is striking that Aristotle was received as a non-Christian and thus as a heretic long before the Renaissance, namely in the high Middle Ages. Albertus researched a lot, especially in the field of chemistry, because he believed that chemistry came closest to nature. One is amazed at the scientific understanding that the scholars of that time already had. After Alberts Magnus came to Cologne in 1238 to direct the Studium Generale of his order, the school became so well known that it attracted students from all over Europe. Also der maybe even more famous Thomas Aquinas became one of Albertus Magnus' disciples. In 1388 the University of Cologne was founded as a successor to this institution. Albertus Magnu's work comprised 70 treatises and books and would now total 22,000 pages in print. A complete edition of his work has been researched since 1931, it is planned for 41 volumes, but this will not be enough.
Albertus Magnus was a Dominican. He completed his novitiate in Stolkgasse, very close to St. Andreas. Albertus Kloster no longer exists, but St. Andreas is a religious order church and a Dominican monastery is directly attached to it.
However, there are only three Dominican monks left there.
St. Andreas is not only a Dominican church, but also the church of the Cologne brewers. They meet once in Month to the regulars' table with the Dominican brothers and that's why the brewers gave the church a brewer's crib. The figures are not shepherds, but people from Cologne Köbesse, i.e. the typical Rhenish Kölsch waiters, who always rush through the breweries with their so-called "Kranz", the typical Kölsch tray, exchanging full and empty glasses. Such figures can be found in the holy city of Cologne in the St. Andrew's crib.
Vum universal teachers bes zom Köbes am Stammdesch. En Kölle be se all
together.
St Gereon
Continue to the last church of this walk, St. Gereon (approx. 850 meters, 11 minutes on foot). First you follow the Zeughausstrasse in a westerly direction, past the former armory and the old guardhouse. The Roman city wall runs parallel to the left and after approx. 500 meters you can see the north-western round tower of the Roman city fortifications on the opposite side of the street. From here the wall ran south. But our path leads right into Friesenstraße and immediately right again into Steinfelder Gasse, which we follow until we see the twin towers of St. Gereon towering in front of us.
Arriving at the church, there is a small park opposite with a Marian column and a Sculpture, the oversized head of Saint Gereon, one stationed in Cologne, roman Officers of the Theban Legion who were beheaded as Christians for their faithwas executed, for refusing to offer sacrifices to Roman gods. His beheading is said to have taken place here. The church is dedicated to this martyr.
Gereon war ein in Köln stationierter, römischer Offiziers der Thebäischen Legion, der als Christ für seinen Glauben durch Enthauptung hingerichtet wurde, weil er sich geweigert hatte, römischen Göttern Opfer darzubringen. Seine Enthauptung soll hier statt gefunden haben. Diesem Märtyrer, zugleich neben St. Ursula Schutzpatron Kölns, ist ist die Kirche geweiht.
St. Gereon is perhaps the most unusual of Cologne's Romanesque churches and perhaps it is also the church with the most overwhelming spatial impression, in any case it is the oldest.
Its predecessor dates from the 4th century and was a late antique oval building that looked like the model in the photo below.
Model of the late antique predecessor building that is integrated into today's church. The model is in one of the four northern conches.
This building is about 1700 years old and integrated into today's church. As a result, St. Gereon is essentially one of the oldest churches in Germany and is only topped by Trier Cathedral (349 AD) and the Konstantinbasilika, also in Trier (311 AD).
St. Gereon is also older than some prominent churches whose antiquity we marvel at, such as Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (AD 537), San Vitale in Ravenna (AD 537) or Aachen Cathedral (AD 795). BC).
The fact that this church is not an ordinary longitudinal building is already apparent from the outside. It is dominated by a large, 10-sided, tower-like structure, a decagon. The late antique oval building is in this decagon.
It is best to start with the tour inside, then later you will understand the outside construction by yourself.
The Decagon
In the picture below you can see the inside of the Decagon, it has four floors and a dome.
The ancient Roman building includes only the two lower floors. Together they have a height of approx. 17 metres, above which there was an oval dome in late antiquity.
Dieser Bau wurde um 1220 deutlich verändert und in die Höhe gebaut. Es wurden das dritte und vierte Geschoss aufgestockt, die alte Kuppel wurde entfernt und stattdessen die heutige Kuppel mit den gotischen Rippen in 34,5 Metern Höhe eingebaut.
Der antike Innenbau war ursprünglich oval und wurde beim mittelalterlichen Umbau von innen zu einem 10-Eck umgestaltet.
Die Wand des Dekagons gliedert sich heute in vier Zonen. Der antike römische Vorgängerbau war nur halb so hoch, hatte nur die beiden unteren Zonen, darüber schloss er mit einer Kuppel ab.
Das aufgestockte dritte Geschoss wurde mit Fächerfenstern ausgestattet und das neue vierte mit gotischen Lanzettfenstern, sehr schmalen, hohen Fenstern mit gotischem Spitzbogen.
Bei dem Umbau des antiken Baus um 1220 entfernte man im zweiten Geschoss die Rundbögen im Innenbau und fügte stattdessen eine Galerie ein, also einen Gang zwischen dem Innen- und Außenbau, der mit Triforien vom Innenraum abgegrenzt wird.
Blick in das mittelalterliche Dekagon mit seiner ovalen Kuppel
Im unteren Geschoss gibt es acht Konchen, also apsisähnliche Nischen, auf jeder Seite vier. Beim Betreten der Kirche sieht man in den rechten Konchen in der Deckenwölbung noch deutlich die Mauerung aus der Antike sowie unten Reste von ursprünglichen Bodenmosaiken.
Antikes Mauerwerk aus dem 4. Jahrhhundert in den Apsiswölbungen.
On the lower floor there are eight conches, i.e. apse-like niches, four on each side. In the first corner on the right when you enter the church, you can still clearly see the walling from antiquity in the vaulted ceiling and the remains of original floor mosaics (in the photo it is the first corner to the left of the entrance)._cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
In the second bullet there was a window zone, above the dome.
Around 1220, the two-storey oval building was encased from the outside with the decagonal building that we see from the outside today. Since then there has been an antique interior and a medieval exterior.
During this conversion around 1220, the windows on the second floor were removed from the interior and a gallery was added instead, i.e. a Gang between the interior and exterior, which is separated from the interior by triforiums.
The antique interior was originally oval and was also redesigned from the inside to form a 10-corner. The ancient dome was removed,
two more bullets were added to die both existing, antique mounted. The third floor was equipped with fan windows and the fourth with Gothic lancet windows, very narrow, high windows mitgotischem pointed arch.
The late antique building had an apse in the east, which was removed around 800 by the first Archbishop of Cologne, Hildebold, and replaced by a first choir instead. Later, around 1160, the first choir was replaced by an even larger one with a crypt.
Looking east into the decagon towards the chancel and apse
Normally the choir is not as long as in St. Gereon. Here it already looks like a nave.
Von außen wurde der antike, zweigeschossige Ovalbau mit einem zehneckigen Bau ummantelt, den wir heute von außen sehen. Die beiden unteren Geschosse haben einen antiken Innenkern und einen mittelalterlichen Außenbau. Weil diese Doppelwandigkeit weniger Licht hereinlässt wirken die beiden unteren Etagen viel dunkler als die beiden oberen Geschosse.
From the outside, the Dekagon looks almost tower-like because of its height. Overall, it has five floors from the outside. The two lower ones are the encased ancient oval building, from the third floor the tower becomes narrower and is supported by buttresses that absorb the pressure of the dome.
From the outside, the octagon is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic. The lattice windows on the fourth floor, the fan windows on the third floor and the buttresses and quatrefoils are Gothic. Otherwise, the exterior design has many Romanesque elements: arched friezes, the dwarf gallery on the fifth floor and arched windows.
From the outside, the chancel, the apse and the two east towers appear much more Roman. On these parts of the building we find the common elements of Roman architecture: dwarf gallery, round arch friezes, round arches, semi-columns with cube capitals, blind arches and blind arcades
It remains to be clarified why the late antique Construction from the 4th century stood at this point in the northwest of the medieval city. Originally there was a necropolis, a burial ground, north-west of the Roman Colonia Agrippina. There the oval building was erected on a slight rise at the intersection of two streets. It served as the royal mausoleum. The Frankish kings were probably buried there in sarcophagi in the conches.
St. Gereon was the most important royal church of the eastern part of the Frankish Empire in the Merovingian period, long before die Carolingian to die Power kamen.
The building was magnificently furnished. The ancient dome had a golden mosaic, the vaults of the conchae and the floor were also decorated with mosaics, the walls were covered with marble slabs.
With its rotunda, St. Gereon clearly stands out from the ranks of Cologne's Romanesque churches. The usual structure of Romanesque churches was the basilica - a longitudinal building with central and side aisles. With the exception of Aachen, Ravenna and Constantinople, there were no domes throughout the Middle Ages.
In addition, this dome is oval and therefore has a strong resemblance to baroque designs that we find in many baroque churches in southern Germany. But St. Gereon has nothing to do with baroque.
Overall, it's an impressive space and worth taking a tour that includes access to the upper floors. You should not be afraid of heights for a guided tour and be prepared that it will be cramped and dark for a short time.
Frisian quarter
After so much concentrated culture in the footsteps of Albertus Magnus and the two saints Ursula and Gereon, it's time to strengthen yourself and preferably right next door. We go back to Friesenstrasse and turn right onto it. A lively district with an amazing amount of old buildings opens up before us. The Veedel is small, it's actually just a part of the larger Gereonsviertel, but here you'll find the only Kölsch brewery that still brews on site within the old town: the Päffgen brewery, a quaint, real Kölsche Weetschaft._cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
The people of Cologne go to such meetings to "talk" and "politicize" over a Kölsch. The furnishings in typical breweries are not luxurious, but dignified. Wooden panels - man-high, with coat hooks all around the walls, scrubbed wooden tables and wooden chairs with curved backs. On each table a Mosters pot, a mustard pot, the windows are leaded and there is a large wrought-iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling, from which the Advent wreath is hung at Christmas and air raids are thrown at carnival.
Et Kolsche Bräues
In a brewery there is no waiter and certainly no waiter, but a Köbes, a Rhenish brewery waiter, so at home in Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Krefeld, the Cologne Bay or on the Lower Rhine. There's usually a roster of these guys in brewpubs. They distribute Kölsch and food, sometimes they stand together for a short chat in the hall in front of the barrel benches. They appear self-confident, quick-witted, sometimes a bit lazy, at least as if they already have a lotexperienced in dealing with people.
The work clothes consist of a blue shirt with a double row of buttons and a dark blue linen apron over which the leather purse hangs. But the most important thingisthe wreath, the Koelsch tray,which can be clearly seen in the painting above and from the already was mentioned above in connection with the brewer's nativity scene in the church of St. Andreas.
For people who don't live in Cologne: If you've emptied your Kölsch in the brewery, you don't need a new to order. The Köbes always brings full Kölsch bars and exchanges them for the empty ones. If you don't want to drink any more, simply place the beer mat on top of the glass and the Köbes will pass by with his full beer glasses.
The confessional in the Päffgen brewery
When the Köbes has filled his wreath with full Kölsch bars at the tap, he goes to the so-called confessional, where it is recorded how much beer he brings into the dining room. The innkeeper sits in the confessional, a small, glazed office integrated into the wall, in Cologne they call it Baas, and from there he can monitor the entire operation. The confessional is integrated into the wall between the hallway with the barrel bench and the adjoining dining room. Confessional, because these small cubbyholes are made of richly decorated wood, often protrude into the room like a bay window and, of course, because the Köbesse hand in their beer tokens there and thus have to account for how much they bring to the guests. The innkeeper also sells schnapps and cigars there.
The confessional also has other names, e.g. "Schaaf", that's Kölsch für Closet because this small space also resembles a closet.
Such a Confessional or Schaaf looks from the inside as if time has stood still. Black rotary phone, receipt stick, Leitz file folders, bakelite light switches with small labels indicating which room they are for, e.g. "Säälchen", etc. Aber even die modern times has made its way, e.g. card readers for credit cards.
The hall in the Päffgen brewery
Right next to the table on the wall is a picture of Mary, so that you can also have the blessing while eating. In holy Cologne, the Mother of God is always there with the baby Jesus. Instead of a candle, a flickering candle bulb burns on its plinth these days.
De Kölsche Küch - what more is in Colonia
Rhenish Sauerbraten
On the menu you will of course find the Rhenish Sauerbraten with red cabbage and dumplings. Sauerbraten is available in different places in Germany. The Rhenish should be dressed with raisins and flaked almonds.
Heaven and Ääd
This is fried Flönz (blood sausage) with mashed potatoes and applesauce, sometimes there are also apple slices. However, this is not as Cologne-based as one might think, but more common throughout northern Germany including the Netherlands.
Halver Hahn
Most people imagine half a chicken here. Wrong, it's a thick slice of old Gouda with mustard, a buttered roux, onion rings and pickles.
Strong Gouda with mustard is great. Should you have eaten. In addition a Kölsch - recommended.
Hämmche with soore caps
This is actually the Cologne counterpart to the Berlin pork knuckle. A pickled and then cooked Pork leg and sauerkraut (soore caps - sour cabbage)
Bunne blanket with bacon
Cook broad beans or broad beans (is the same thing) in vegetable broth until soft, leave out the belly bacon in a saucepan, let the onions become translucent, add the butter, sauté the flour and pour in the broth and cream, pour in the drained beans, add savory, season with salt and pepper if necessary .
Plus Kassler.
Rievkooche
Grate the raw potatoes and onions, squeeze out the potato mixture, set the liquid aside and allow the starch to settle, mix the eggs and flour and the starch into the potato and onion mixture, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and fry in lard until crispy. There is also applesauce or Rheinisches Apfelkraut or beet syrup.
Deep reams with Kaniel and sugar
A dessert: Michreis (stiefe Ries - stiff rice) with cinnamon (kaniel) and sugar
Unfortunately, a number of dishes have disappeared from the menu in recent decades, although you definitely don't expect fisematents in the brewery, but down-to-earth dishes.
Hard to find: flonz mit Öllig (blood sausage with onions), Soleier, Limenör (Limburg cheese), Fuustekies (Mainz cheese).
Belgian quarter
From the Friesenviertel, it is worth going to the Belgisches Viertel (to Brussels Square, approx. 800 meters, walking time: 10 minutes), where you will find a variety of nightlife options in one of the hippest Veedel districts in the city. Perhaps it is advisable to take the route from Friesenplatz through Antwerpener Strasse to Brussels Strasse, then through the district, in the direction of Bismarckstrasse, then in the direction of Brussels Square and from there in the direction of Aachener Strasse. There is something for every taste on this tour. The district is colorful and lively. We recommend the Café Miss Päpki at St. Michael's Church on Brussels Square with café tables under trees, but also the Alcazar on Bismarckstrasse or the Bar Schmitz on Aachener Strasse. This is where Cologne is at its most beautiful.
Walk 3
St. Maria in Lyskirchen/ St. Severin/ Severinsviertel/
St. Apostles
St. Maria in Lyskirchen
St. Maria in Lyskirchen is located in the south of the old town on the Rhine. Today, the broad B51 runs between the river and the church, as well as the former Rheinauhafen and the narrow Werthchen headland, on the northern tip of which is the Chocolate Museum.
In the Middle Ages there was a lot of shipping traffic here. Cologne was a Hanseatic city and a transhipment point where two different types of ships came together, the so-called Oberlanders, who came from the south, from Bacharach, and sailed through the narrow, winding Middle Rhine Valley, and the Niederländer, who sailed the Lower Rhine to the Netherlands, were larger and could hold more charge.
In the Middle Ages, St. Maria in Lyskirchen served as a devotional church for Rhine boatmen. It later became the parish church of the fishing village of Noithusen, which was incorporated in 1006. The Rhine plays an important role in this church. It was always threatened by flooding, which is why the construction site was even raised when 1006 was built. But that only brought something to a limited extent, as can be seen from the painted reference to den Ice flood water level of 1784 see, which is painted above the west portal. At that time, the Rhine was extremely high and during this time the winters were so cold that ice drift partially destroyed the interior of the church.
The church is also called the Schifferkirche, partly because it contains the so-called "Schiffermadonna", a late Gothic image of the Madonna which was placed on the outside(!) of the east apse until the 19th century so that the passing skippers and fishermen could see it. In addition, some boatmen used to live in the quarter, but a Brotherhood of St. Nicholas was formed only in the 17th century. Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, skippers and fishermen, stands as a statue at the tip of the headland in front of the chocolate museum and looks out over the Rhine from there.
Before St. Maria in Lyskirchen became a parish church, it was probably the private church of a Mr. Lisolvus or Lysolfus, who lived in the house next door. The name Lyskirchen derives from his name. It is the name of one of the most important medieval families in Cologne, which belonged to the patrician family and who provided the mayor of Cologne several times. As a donor, the family had the church expanded, which received its current appearance around 1200. The Lyskirchens will be im further History of the walkstill play a role through the south of Cologne.
What is special about St. Maria in Lyskirchen are the frescoes in the vaults. They were created in the 13th century and have never been destroyed. In general, the church miraculously survived the Second World War almost unscathed.
The oldest fresco from 1230 shows the Adoration of the Magi above the west portal. The frescoes on the north side of the nave depicting the Old Testament and on the south side depicting stories from the New Testament were created around 1250.
The life of Saint Nicholas is depicted in the south choir chapel from around 1270, while the life of Saint Catherine is depicted in the north choir chapel from around 1280.
Southern choir chapel, St. Nicholas chapel with vaulted frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas was in the first half of the 3. Century Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. Around him entwine various legends in which he always appeared as a helper in great need. Among other things Nicholas helped shippers in distress by calming the stormy seas, setting the sails correctly and taking over the navigation. Since then he has been the patron saint of seafarers.
In the above photo of the ceiling fresco of the Nikolauskapelle you can see the seafaring legend in the lower spandrel on the left. The vault is through the groin vault in four gore , each of which is identified by a painted on column divided so that it in total eight fields with scenes from Nicholas' life. On the field to the right of the seafaring legend you can see Nicholas on his deathbed. On the left gusset you can see him as a child on dem Lap his mother and his episcopal consecration. The other spandrels show other legends of Nicholas: on the right the liberation of the three innocent people sentenced to death and four others gore show the Legend of a Jew who had an image made of Nicholas so that the saint would guard his treasures. In the absence of the Jew, however, his treasures of three robbers stolen, whereupon he whipped the image of Nicholas. Nicholas then appeared to the three robbers and persuaded them to return the treasures, whereupon the Jew was baptized, impressed.
Northern choir chapel, Catherine chapel, vault painting with scenes from the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria
The northern choir chapel is dedicated to St. Catherine. Her story is that as a Christian in the 3rd or 4th century she repeatedly
was prompted by this to let go of faith, for which she was ultimately executed. She came from Alexandria, where she taught as a scholar. They wanted to be dissuaded from the faith with the help of other scholars. The result was that Catherine convinced the other scholars and they became Christians. For this they were burned. This scene is seen in a spandrel where the scholars are executed in a bellows-fired furnace.
Ultimately, Katharina also had to die. She was to be tortured with a wheel, but it was blown to pieces by an angel before the martyrdom began. This scene is also shown. Catherine was beheaded and angels carried her body to Mount Sinai, where Moses met the burning bush. St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai is located here today.
Katharina is not a historical person but a pure Invention. Despite this, she is one of the most prominent saints.
In the photo above, the table was being set up. Expired groceries are distributed to the needy in the area. Because the weather was unstable, the table, which actually takes place in the courtyard next to the church, was moved inside.
Severin district
The walk continues from St. Maria in Lyskirchen to St. Severin (walking distance: 1.4 km, walking time: 17 minutes) First you go to Severinstraße, the nerve of the Vringsveedel. The road runs about one kilometer from the driveway to the Severinsbrücke to the Severinstor. You stroll past all sorts of shops, pubs and cafés. It is lively here and some also say that this district is the most beautiful in Cologne.
There are many places to stop: "Em Scheffge" (Severinstrasse 104),To the "Old Brewery" (Severinstraße 51),the Italian café "Ludari" (Severinstrasse 50) or the "Brauhaus Severin" (Severinstrasse 28) or at Chlodwigplatz to "Früh em Veedel" (Chlodwigplatz 28).
Em Scheffge has a rustic feel and is quite nostalgic. You can sit outside in front of the house or in the beer garden at the back.
Reissdorfkölsch has been brewed in the old brewery since 1894. The war intervened, the brewery was 90% destroyed and is now in Rodenkirchen. The inn is still in the same place.
Opposite is the Italian café Ludari with a rather original, almost cinematic ambience, which might remind you of an Italian villa rustica.
The Brauhaus Severin is particularly beautiful, located directly at the Severinskirche with tables on the cobblestone square and an interior ambience that is also typical of a brewery.
To the left of the Severintor is the Früh im Veedel. It was once a distillery. The economy is considered to be one of the most Cologne-like in the city.
The Severinstor, at the end of Severinstraße, the inn "Früh em Veedel" is the ocher-colored brick building on the left.
The weekly market takes place in front of the Severinstor every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Chlodwigplatz.
In the Severin brewery
The halve rooster - a finger-thick slice of old Gouda with mustard, cucumber and onion rings, plus a little buttered roulade
St. Severin
In the 4th century there was already a small cemetery chapel in the middle of a Roman burial ground at the site of St. Severin. The Romans buried their dead here, two kilometers south of the gates of the Roman city on the military road to Bonn. Associated excavations lie under the central nave of today's church.
In the 4th century, Severin, the third bishop of Cologne, founded a monastery and the associated church. The monastery was continued until Napoleon dissolved it in 1806, since then St. Severin has been a parish church. The cloister belonging to the former monastery still exists today, but it is rarely open and accessible.
At first glance, the church looks anything but Romanesque. Gothic rib vaults, pointed arches, bundles of services.The church received its Gothic appearance between the late 13th and 14th centuriesundert in several construction phases, when the church was modernized. But if you look for the characteristic features of the Romanesque style in the picture above, you will find them. There are round arches in the crossing.
On the outside you will find more Romanesque Elements. The Hohenstaufen apse has a dwarf gallery and five round arches underneath. An arched frieze is attached to the chancel and the southern transept of the transept also contains an arched frieze and arched windows.
There is not much that is reminiscent of the Romanesque period. Also Gothic dominates the outside. There is also the high west tower with its Gothic blind arches with tracery and the pointed-arched window with tracery above the entrance portal.
Among the interesting works of art in the church is the golden shrine containing the bones of St. Severin. It is located in the apse behind the altar on columns similar to the Shrines in St. Ursula. As a result, the shrine is elevated and visible to everyone, and you can also walk under it. The believers of the Middle Ages did just that in processions, believing that the salvation of the saints lying over them descended in this way.
The current shrine was not made until 1819. In 1798 the old one had to be melted down because the French occupiers made financial demands. Next to the shrine of the Three Kings from Cologne Cathedral, it was the most important and valuable medieval shrine in the city. What remained was an enamel disc depicting St. Severin, which was incorporated into the new shrine.
Another interesting work of art is the 1548 altarpiece by Bartholomäus Bruyn the Elder. After der restoration 2015-2017 it shines more clearly again Colorful. It is in the south transept.The artist comes from Wesel and also made altarpieces for the cathedrals of Xanten and Essen. After his training in Wesel, he became a successful painter of the middle class in Cologne. At der restoration it was found out that the retable was donated by Constantin von Lyskirchen and his wife Elisabeth Hackeney. The main panel shows the Last Supper scene at the moment when Jesus hands Judas a piece of bread and thus reveals the betrayal by Judas. On the left is Abraham seen when he met Melchizedek, to whom he gave bread. The person on the right of the frame is interesting. It is Bartholomäus Bruyn himself. The painter had made self-portraits of himself in which he is recognizable.
On the right outer panel, manna is raining from the sky. Moses can be seen in the foreground and the people are collecting the manna from the ground.
St. Apostles
From St. Severin we continue to St. Aposteln. Not on foot this time, that's 2.5 kilometers, but by tram. From Chlodwigplatz, line 15 runs in the direction of Cologne Chorweiler to Rudolfplatz or line 16 in the direction of Niehl Sebastianstraße to Neumarkt.
The church is on the west side of the Neumarkt.
The eastern part of the church, the three-conch complex with blind arches, pilasters, half-columns and a surrounding dwarf gallery. Above the transept is an octagonal lantern flanked by two octagonal towers.
The church has a tall tower to the west and an intricately designed east part. This is due to its construction history, because the important part was in the west when construction of the church began. It was a crypt mit overlying Chor, while the eastern part with the three-conch complex was only added in the 13th century.
The construction of the Romanesque church was started after 1021 from
archbishop Pilgrim, who founded a monastery of canons attached to the existing church. In the course of founding the monastery became the new Church built. It has a western transept, which is connected to the western choir, under which lies a crypt in which the archbishop
buried would. Later the tower was built over the crossing to the west, in the first quarter of the 13. At the end of the 19th century the conch complex was added to the east. What is unusual is that the church faced west. Only when the bones were built was the liturgical part of the church moved to the east and an entrance built in to the west. Corridors and stairs are hidden in the conchae. In the east conch, a staircase leads up to a gate that is now walled up and is still visible from the outside. In the past, you could reach the Roman city wall from there via a bridge. The predecessor building of today's churches was directly in front of the gates of the Roman city at meine city wall. The Roman Wall was eight meters high and had its western gate next to St. Apostles here.
St. apostles Ostseite is a representative building from the Salian period, which characterizes the western side of the Neumarkt with its conches and the lantern including the flanking towers.
