Stream of time
View of the Rhine from the Hohenzollern Bridge with the steeples of the Romanesque Roman-Catholic church Great St Martin (on the left) and the Historic Guildhall (on the right) in the background, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Some background information:
The Rhine is a European stream with its head in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Austrian, Swiss-Liechtenstein, Swiss-German and Franco-German border before it flows through the German Rhineland and eventually empties into the North Sea in the Netherlands. With a length of about 1,230 km (760 miles), the Rhine is the second longest river in Central and Western Europe (after the Danube). It has an average discharge of about 2,900 cubic metres/second, which makes it a rather rapid-flowing stream.
The Rhine and the Danube formed most of the northern inland frontier of the Roman Empire and, since those days, the Rhine has been a vital and navigable waterway carrying trade and goods deep inland. The many castles and fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a waterway. It has also become a symbol of German Romantic nationalism.
The Hohenzollern Bridge has a total length of 409.19 metres (1,342.5 feet) and crosses the river Rhine at kilometre 688.5 in the city of Cologne. It is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany, connecting the railway stations Köln Hauptbahnhof (in English: Cologne Central Station) and Köln Messe/Deutz (in English: Cologne Trade Fair/Deutz).
The bridge was constructed between 1907 and 1911 after the old bridge, the Cathedral Bridge, was demolished because it was unable to handle the increasing traffic. It was named after the German imperial dynasty of Hohenzollern and inaugurated by emperor Wilhelm II on 22nd May 1911.
During World War II the Hohenzollern Bridge was one of the most important bridges in Germany. Although it was under consistent daily airstrikes by the Allies, the bridge was not badly damaged. However German military engineers blew up the bridge when Allied troops began their assault on Cologne.
After the war, reconstruction was quickly organized and by 8 May 1948, the Hohenzollern Bridge was accessible by pedestrians again. Over the next eleven years the bridge was improved and by 1959 finished completely. Originally, the bridge was both a railway and street bridge, however, since its reconstruction it is only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic.
The city of Cologne has a population of nearly 1.1 million residents and hence is Germany’s fourth largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich) and the largest city in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine River in the western part of Germany.
The town was already founded and established in the first century AD, as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in the Ubii territory. Subsequently it became the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and the headquarters of the military in the region until it was occupied by the Franks in 462.
During the Middle Ages the town flourished as it was situated at one of the most important major trade routes between east and west in Europe. In medieval and renaissance times Cologne was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and one of the largest cities north of the Alps. During the High Middle Ages the city had already more than 40,000 residents and hence was the largest settlement throughout the German-speaking world.
During World War II Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany. The bombing reduced the population by 95% and destroyed almost the entire constructed area. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.
Today Cologne is a major cultural centre for the Rhineland. It is home to the world-famous Cologne Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of important trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom, and the Photokina. Not least Cologne is also famous for its gay community, which is one of the largest throughout Germany (only outclassed by the Berlin one) and for its large and kinky Christopher Street Day parade.
Stream of time
View of the Rhine from the Hohenzollern Bridge with the steeples of the Romanesque Roman-Catholic church Great St Martin (on the left) and the Historic Guildhall (on the right) in the background, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Some background information:
The Rhine is a European stream with its head in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Austrian, Swiss-Liechtenstein, Swiss-German and Franco-German border before it flows through the German Rhineland and eventually empties into the North Sea in the Netherlands. With a length of about 1,230 km (760 miles), the Rhine is the second longest river in Central and Western Europe (after the Danube). It has an average discharge of about 2,900 cubic metres/second, which makes it a rather rapid-flowing stream.
The Rhine and the Danube formed most of the northern inland frontier of the Roman Empire and, since those days, the Rhine has been a vital and navigable waterway carrying trade and goods deep inland. The many castles and fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a waterway. It has also become a symbol of German Romantic nationalism.
The Hohenzollern Bridge has a total length of 409.19 metres (1,342.5 feet) and crosses the river Rhine at kilometre 688.5 in the city of Cologne. It is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany, connecting the railway stations Köln Hauptbahnhof (in English: Cologne Central Station) and Köln Messe/Deutz (in English: Cologne Trade Fair/Deutz).
The bridge was constructed between 1907 and 1911 after the old bridge, the Cathedral Bridge, was demolished because it was unable to handle the increasing traffic. It was named after the German imperial dynasty of Hohenzollern and inaugurated by emperor Wilhelm II on 22nd May 1911.
During World War II the Hohenzollern Bridge was one of the most important bridges in Germany. Although it was under consistent daily airstrikes by the Allies, the bridge was not badly damaged. However German military engineers blew up the bridge when Allied troops began their assault on Cologne.
After the war, reconstruction was quickly organized and by 8 May 1948, the Hohenzollern Bridge was accessible by pedestrians again. Over the next eleven years the bridge was improved and by 1959 finished completely. Originally, the bridge was both a railway and street bridge, however, since its reconstruction it is only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic.
The city of Cologne has a population of nearly 1.1 million residents and hence is Germany’s fourth largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich) and the largest city in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine River in the western part of Germany.
The town was already founded and established in the first century AD, as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in the Ubii territory. Subsequently it became the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and the headquarters of the military in the region until it was occupied by the Franks in 462.
During the Middle Ages the town flourished as it was situated at one of the most important major trade routes between east and west in Europe. In medieval and renaissance times Cologne was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and one of the largest cities north of the Alps. During the High Middle Ages the city had already more than 40,000 residents and hence was the largest settlement throughout the German-speaking world.
During World War II Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany. The bombing reduced the population by 95% and destroyed almost the entire constructed area. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.
Today Cologne is a major cultural centre for the Rhineland. It is home to the world-famous Cologne Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of important trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom, and the Photokina. Not least Cologne is also famous for its gay community, which is one of the largest throughout Germany (only outclassed by the Berlin one) and for its large and kinky Christopher Street Day parade.