GERMANY - Domstadt Köln / Cologne Cathedral

GERMANY stamp



Köln (Cologne) location in GERMANY

Cologne (German: Köln) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC. The name is derived from that of the Roman settlement, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.

Cologne lies on the River Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.

Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade FairArt Cologne, the International Furniture Fair (IMM) and the Photokina. Cologne is also well-known for its celebration of Cologne Carnival, the annual reggae summerjam, and Cologne Gay Pride. hosts a number of trade shows such as

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Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, and is under the administration of the archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of German Catholicism in particular, of Gothic architecture and of the continuing faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius". It is visited by 20 thousand people every day.

Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its towers are approximately 157 m tall. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Minster, completed 10 years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir of the cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3.6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault. The cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe.

Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship of the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe".

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The Hohenzollernbrücke (German for: Hohenzollern bridge) is a bridge crossing the river Rhine in the German city of Cologne. It crosses the Rhine at km 688.5. Originally, the bridge was both a railway and street bridge, however after its destruction in 1945 and its subsequent reconstruction it was only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic.

It is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany, connecting the stations Köln Hauptbahnhof and Köln Messe/Deutz with each other.

The bridge was constructed between 1907 and 1911 after the old bridge, the Dombrücke, had to be demolished. The Dombrücke had been unable to handle the increasing traffic in Cologne. The Hohenzollernbrücke was one of the most important bridges in Germany during World War II, even under consistent daily airstrikes the bridge was not damaged badly. On March 6 1945 German Military engineers blew up the bridge when Allied troops started to conquer Cologne. After the war, reconstruction was quickly organized; by May 8 1948 the Hohenzollernbrücke was accessible by pedestrians again. Over the next eleven years the bridge was improved until by 1959 it was usable without any impairment. During the 1980’s the bridge was renovated with two new tracks. The Hohenzollernbrücke now regularly has over 1200 trains pass through daily. The bridge is regarded as an important part of Cologne as it is connects Cologne's central station with the major European cities on the other side of the Rhine.

The total length of the Hohenzollernbrücke is 409.19 meters.

Since 2008 people have placed love padlocks on the fence between the sidewalk and the tracks.

COLOGNE cathedral

Date of inscription : 1996

Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

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Postcard sent by Giulia , as "Cattiebrie"
Postcrossing - Reference DE-569419

Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern bridge on river Rhine

danke