Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium
A discovery tour through Roman Cologne
Friends, Romans, countrymen, salve and welcome to Colonia!
Traces of Roman civilization persist in almost all areas of western society and culture. Language, writing, understanding of law, government and much more are steeped in the legacy of the Romans. It is an essential part of our history and often forms the foundation of how we view our world today.
As a city founded by the Romans, we in Cologne are also proud of our ancient history, as there is still much that bears witness to our beginnings and is part of our identity. Sometimes more, sometimes less visible, there are several opportunities to follow in the footsteps of ancient Cologne and immerse yourself in Roman history.
This guide offers a brief overview of the main sights for those who are interested in the ancient heritage and would like to go exploring.
To this end, we have created a route through the center of Cologne that leads along some of the archaeological sites. Additionally, we also point out other opportunities in the vicinity of Cologne‘s center to discover our Roman past.
With this in mind, we hope you enjoy discovering the exciting world of (Cologne‘s) antiquity!
Your VisitKöln Team
753 BC
Foundation of Rome
58 – 50 BC
Conquest of Gaul by Gaius Julius Caesar
Ca. 282 BC
Rome dominates Central and Lower Italy
264 – 146 BC
Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome becomes the hegemonic power in the entire Mediterranean region
20/19 BC
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa is governor of Gaul. The Oppidum Ubiorum (city of the Ubians) is founded on the site of present-day Cologne
15 AD
Agrippina the Younger is born in the Oppidum Ubiorum
27 BC
Octavian proclaims himself „Augustus“ and turns the Republic into a „principate“. The imperial age of Rome begins
14 AD Death of Augustus
9 AD
Three Roman legions are defeated by Germanic tribes in the Varus Battle
5 BC
The Ubier monument is built
17 AD
The Rhine becomes the fixed border of the Roman Empire
49 AD
Agrippina marries Emperor Claudius
98 – 117 AD
The Roman Empire reaches its greatest geographical extent
260 AD
General Postumus rises to become emperor of a special Gallic Empire, whose capital is the CCAA
Ca. 90 AD
Cologne becomes the capital of the province of Germania Inferior
Under Emperor Theodosius, Christianity becomes the state religion after 400 AD Roman legions are withdrawn from the Rhine
274 AD
The Gallic Empire falls, Cologne belongs to the Roman Empire once more
50 AD
The Oppidum Ubiorum receives the city charter and becomes Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (CCAA)
310 AD
The Constantine Bridge is built in the CCAA and Fort Divitia is constructed on the right bank of the Rhine
392 AD
476 AD
The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire is deposed. The Western Roman Empire is history
455 AD
Ripuarian Franks conquer Cologne and make the city their capital
313 AD
The first verified bishop of Cologne, Maternus, is summoned to a synod in Rome
Breslauer Platz/Hbf
Wallraf- U . -FettenStr.
Altenberger
Dom/Hbf
Domprobst-
KetzerStr.
Trankg.
Kard. Höffner-
hennen
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Roncalliplatz
Pl. Sporerg. str.
Gr. Budeng. str.
Hohe str.
Perlenpfuhl
Kl. Budeng.
Marspfor-
Obenmarspforten
Ind.
Höhle
Goldgasse
Kost-
HeinrichBöll-Pl.
Gr. Neug.
Mühleng.
Rathaus
Alter
Markt
Unter Käster
Lintgasse Salzg.
Franken-
Fischmarkt
Seidmacherinnengäßchen
Burg-
Hohe
Markmannsg. teng.
SandQuaterkaul nichstr. Gr. Sandkaul
Kl. markt
Steinw.
Bolzengasse Mar-
Heumarkt
Butter- A.d.Rothenberg
höfchen werft
markt Hafeng.
tinstr. Deutzer
Heumarkt
Kasinostr.
Küh- gasse
LeystapelAm
1a) Roman north gate above the underground garage
The tour along the ancient sights of the CCAA begins in front of the western fassade of the Cologne Cathedral, more or less where the north gate of Roman Cologne used to stand. Only two comparatively small elements of the former Roman North Gate have remained. The grand, central archway can be found in the RomanGermanic Museum, the small gate arch is on display in front of Cologne Cathedral, which used to be the small side gateway for pedestrians. It was originally part of a city gate that was approx. 30.5 m wide and had two towers. The central gate‘s large passageway measured 5.6 m in width and was secured by a portcullis, which is still visible today in a groove in the
arch. The exact date of construction and the original height cannot be determined, but the gate was used as a portal to the cathedral surroundings long after antiquity. Accordingly, it was long referred to as the Pfaffenpforte, refering to priests who went in and out (German dialect: Pfaffe = priest).
It was eventually demolished in 1826 after it was decided to widen the roads in the surrounding area. Subsequently, the lateral archway was preserved and moved from location to location serveral times until finally, with the construction of the Cathedral‘s pedestal, the current location was found, almost in the place of the original.
On the ground of the Cathedral plaza, in front of the archway, there is an information panel that shows visitors the Roman city wall on today‘s cityscape. This clearly emphasizes how the Roman city structure has been preserved in many respects to this day. The pedestrian zones (Hohe Straße, Schildergasse, Breite Straße) are still based on the most important axes of the Roman street layout. The Roman forum was located where Hohe Straße and Schildergasse meet. Furthermore, the course of the Roman wall still more or less delimits the city center.
1b) City wall in the underground car park
Hidden in the underground parking garage beneath Cologne‘s Domplatte are the remains of the Roman city wall, which bear witness to Cologne‘s urban elevation. As the Roman historian Tacitus wrote, the „Oppidum Ubiorum“ (the city of the Ubians) was elevated to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in 50 AD at the instigation of Agrippina, the wife of the emperor at the time. In this context, a city wall was built for defensive and representative purposes. Not only did the city and its wall secure the border of the Roman Empire, it also represented the mother city of Rome as its small image.
After entering the underground garage via the side entrance, the wall section is immediately visible. The lower section is the wall foundation. Therefore a pit was excavated and wooden formwork laid out for the foundation. The edges of the wall show where the base of the foundation ends and the above-ground section begins. The section of wall shows that clean-cut ashlars were now used as the shell of the wall, which enhanced the visible part of the wall. As with the foundation,
„opus caementitium“, the Roman universal building material, was used for filling. This can be observed when looking at the middle of the wall. Little by little, the wall was raised on the foundation along a scaffold. Holes in the masonry are proof of the wooden beams from the scaffold that was ancored in it.
Next to the section of the Roman city wall is a Roman cellar that was discovered when the underground parking garage was built. The cellar was part of the Roman residential development that characterized the area, where the Cathedral stands today, in antiquity. As it would have been an obstacle to the underground car park‘s traffic, the cellar was moved to its current location.
The Roman city wall still dominates the cityscape of Cologne‘s city center today. It runs largely underground, only to reappear in some places. Even if you don‘t notice it at first glance, it is still present, for example through the street layout, as the foundation of various buildings or in the form of elevations.
2) The Roman harbor road
During the construction of the Roman-Germanic Museum, a 65 m long sroad section that led to the port of the Roman city came to light. This was located at the very place where the entrance to the underground parking garage was planned, which is why the section of road was moved 5 m southwards. Photos document that the original find was in a different layout than after the move to the current location. The stones fitted better than they do today and the
original curvature of the road, which allowed the water to flow away, has been straightened. Nevertheless, the harbor road is a fine illustration of Roman engineering and planning and a section of the approximately 300,000 km long road network in the Roman Empire. It was precisely this road network which, starting from Rome, enabled the conquest and development of the Mediterranean region and a large part of Europe.
3) Rhine, Limes, Divitia and the Constantine Bridge
Since the Battle of Varus 9 AD the Rhine was the natural border of the Roman Empire in Central Europe. The loss of three legions in the battle of the Teutoburg Forest (near present-day Kalkriese) essentially thwarted Roman ambitions to extend their territory as far as the Elbe, making Cologne a border city.
Emperor Constantine had the fort Divitia built on the right side of the Rhine in 310 AD and connected it to Cologne with a stone bridge across the river. Some of the wooden piles that were driven into the bottom of
the Rhine as foundations can still be found in the Roman-Germanic Museum. The stone remains of the bridge were later used for the construction of the large Cologne church buildings in the early Middle Ages.
By the way, parts of the foundations of Fort Divitia can still be seen on the right Rhine side in the Deutz district, which was named after the fort. As part of the Lower Germanic Limes, the ruins of Divitia are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4) Harbor building Groß St. Martin & Schmitzsäule
The Church of St. Martin is not only one of the 12 Romanesque churches in the city, but also offers insights into antiquity. For a small fee, you can visit the crypt of the church, where you can immerse yourself in the ancient history of the building.
Before Groß St. Martin took on its current form, the structure was part of an ensemble of Roman harbor buildings that were located on the same site. One of the buildings was later converted into a church on
the basis of the Roman structure. Previously, as the area still was a small island in the Rhine river, there was a Roman sports facility on the site, as indicated by a water basin preserved in the crypt.
Opening hours: Tue - Thu 1 to 5 pm Fri - Sat 10 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm Sun 1 to 6 pm
5) Figure elements on the town hall tower, the Rhine arm & Praetorium
The town hall tower‘s ensemble of figures is a compilation of Cologne‘s people considered significant to the city‘s long history. Luckily for us, the lower ensemble of figures is dedicated to Romans, which can be viewed from the steps next to the town hall tower. Here we find some prominent figures from antique Cologne: Agrippa, who resettled the Ubians to the present-day site of Cologne and founded the Oppidum Ubiorum, Augustus, the first Roman emperor, Agrippina the Younger, daughter of the Oppidum Ubiorum and founder of the CCAA, and Postumus, who made Cologne the capital of his Gallic Empire. It is also worth taking a look at the base of the figures. The stonemasons took the liberty of immortalizing character traits and features of the figures in the sculptures by means of metaphors.
Finally, at this point you can take a look back at the Alter Markt itself. With a little imagination, it is easy to picture how 2,000 years ago a branch of the Rhine separated the island from the mainland where the market space is today.
Consequently, as we climb the stairs, we re-enter the CCAA area and the Roman Praetorium. The excavations of the Roman governor‘s palace lie underneath the surrounding area and will soon be visible again, when the construction of the MiQua museum is completed.
6) Roman sewer
The partial section of the Roman sewer was recovered from the adjacent Unter Goldschmied/Große Budengasse intersection. The above-ground section represents the underground section of one of the main sewers from Roman times that still exists under the street today. The supply of fresh water from the Eifel mountains and the corresponding return of polluted water to the Rhine formed one of the most elementary
foundations for the development and maintenance of a clean city. It was no longer possible to maintain the system in the Middle Ages, as a result of which the cities became polluted and the quality of the drinking water suffered massively. It was not until the 19th century that sewer systems were built again in Europe, drawing on the Roman legacy. Today, a modern city would be unthinkable without a water and sewage system.
7) Roman fresh water canal and sarcophagi
In ancient times Cologne was supplied with fresh water from the Eifel region by one of the longest aqueducts in the Roman Empire. The almost 100 km long aqueduct was able to transport 20 m. liter of fresh Eifel water from the area of today‘s Nettersheim to Cologne. The lime
layer inside the section is an indication that here we are dealing with a fresh water pipe. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the water pipeline could no longer be maintained and parts of it fell into disrepair. This led to a considerable deterioration in water quality in the town. From then on, drinking water was obtained from wells. Today, a hiking trail leads along the Roman aqueduct. In addition to visiting preserved sections of the Roman fresh water pipeline, the hiking tour is characterized by its beautiful landscape.
The three sarcophagi in the gardens also date back to ancient times and are presented here as exhibits. In addition to sarcophagi, urn burials were also widespread in Roman society and a common way to be buried.
8) Excavations in the KOLUMBA Museum
A look at the excavation area of the KOLUMBA Museum reveals various layers of the city‘s history. Early Christian buildings were later erected here on the remains of ancient dwellings, which underwent continuous development. If you like, the
subsequent buildings from the 1950s and 2000s continued a tradition that has existed since Cologne was founded: An ongoing transformation of a city that knows no standstill. You can sneak a peak at the excavation area from the side entrance of the adjunct chapel.
9) Helenenturm
The Helenenturm is one of the best preserved parts of the Roman city wall of Cologne. Even in ancient times, the half-tower was not closed, but open on the back-side facing the city. It is easy to see from the ruins that only the lower section is still original. The upper section was rebuilt for demonstration purposes. After the Second World War, the „Kölner Grün“ foundation and the City of Cologne‘s Parks and Gardens Department constantly looked after and maintained the ruins and the adjacent green space.
10) Römerturm
Of a total of 19 towers of Cologne‘s Roman city wall only the northwestern corner tower has been preserved in good condition. Known today as the Römerturm, it was used as a privy by the adjacent Franciscan convent for a long time. This was the only reason for the preservation of the building, which today serves as the most vivid example of the Roman city wall. In particular, the white limestone and gray trachyte ornamentation embedded in the red sandstone serve to demonstrate that the city wall not only had a defensive function, but also was a representative structure. With
four known exceptions, the Roman towers of the city wall were all built according to a standard. This provided for a strong foundation on which the approx. 7.8 m high tower was erected. Over time, its height was considerably reduced and then increased again. As a result, the upper pattern differs from the lower one. The crenellated crown is also not original or authentic. Despite these supposed flaws the Römerturm is one of the most important testimonies to Roman history in Cologne and perhaps it is precisely because of these flaws that it is truly „Kölsch“.
11) St. Gereon
The function of the late antique central building, which was constructed in the 4th century on top of a Roman burial ground, has not yet been clarified. It can be assumed that the building stood in connection to the oldest Roman cemetery in the city, which was located on the spot and was therefore a mausoleum or an early church. Walls up to 16.5 meters high still remain of the late antique building, which illustrate its enormous size. It was designed as an oval and had conches with windows through them, which were attached to the center in a horseshoe shape. The building was crowned by an oval dome with a diameter of 23.7 meters by 19.8 meters. A semicircular apse closed off the building to the east. Other features of the building that have been identified are a vestibule to the west, which was flanked by small apses, and an atrium that enclosed the space in front of the hall.
Despite the extensions and conversions, some elements of the original building have been preserved in St. Gereon. Parts of the mosaic floor can still be found in
the first conches on the south side. Furthermore, a granite column to the west of the entrance is a possible part of the original building as well as the still visible bricked-up windows of the conches.
Last but not least, Gereon himself is a saint who comes directly from late antiquity. According to legend, he was a Roman officer of the Theban Legion who defied the emperor‘s order to take part in the persecution of Christians because they were Christians themselves. As punishment the legionaries were executed on the doorsteps of Cologne and later elevated to martyrs of their faith. Accordingly, the church building was dedicated to them, Gereon in particular. Gereon himself became the patron saint of the city and is represented in many ways both in the churches and in the cityscape. His head is depicted as a work of art on the green area in front of the church.
Opening hours: Mon - Sat 10 am to 6 pm (in exceptional cases only the vestibule is open)
Foto: Dieter Jacobi
12) Römerbrunnen
The Roman Fountain was built in 1915 by architect Franz Brantzky on behalf of the Beautification Association to create a monument dedicated to the town‘s origins. The fountain is integrated into the foundations of the Roman city wall, with the column measuring 9.1 m, roughly the height of the towers of that wall. The column is crowned by the Capitoline shewolf suckling the Roman founding fathers Romulus and Remus. Today‘s fountain is a reconstruction by architect Karl Brand, who rebuilt the fountain, which was badly damaged in the war, in a simplified form. The elements present today are the
remaining fragments that could be salvaged. The equally fragmentary inscription above the reliefs quotes from the work of Tacitus, which reports on the founding of the city of Cologne. Translated, the inscription reads:
In order to demonstrate her power to the allied peoples, Agrippina succeeded in establishing a veteran colony in the city of the Ubians, where she was born, which she herself named. As chance would have it, her grandfather Agrippa had accepted this people, who had come over the Rhine, into his allegiance.
13) City wall & grave of Agrippina
At the corner of Tunisstraße and Komödienstraße, well-preserved sections of the Roman city wall are still visible. These were uncovered during the construction of the Nord-Süd-Fahrt, Cologne‘s city highway, after the Second World War and integrated into the cityscape for presentation purposes. The dimensions of the foundations, especially of the towers, are clearly visible. They had to be enormous in order to withstand the weight of the wall. You can also see how the ground level of the city has risen over the course of almost 2,000 years. As it was generally built on what was there previously, the ground level today is around 3 meters above that of antiquity.
The city‘s past is therefore located underneath today‘s Cologne. However, it does come to light in some places. The section of the city wall on Komödienstraße is one such curiosity. The people of Cologne disagreed on how to interpret the „monument“ and have declared the section of wall to be „Agrippina‘s grave“. A classic Cologne quirk that knows how to find humorous interpretations for things of which there is no explanation. Agrippina did not die in Cologne and was not buried in the city of her birth. However, the founder of the city is still venerated in Cologne, for example in the form of the Virgin of Carnival.
Other sights of CCAA
RGM in the Belgian House
The Roman-Germanic Museum is Cologne‘s institution for the city‘s ancient history. While under renovation, a significant part of the museum‘s holdings was relocated to the Belgian House in order to present the archaeological finds of CCAA. This gives visitors an insight into the life of CCAA, the Rome on the Rhine. Furthermore, a significant collection of Roman glass is on display in the Belgian House.
Opening hours: Wed – Mon 10 am to 6 pm
Roman grave in Weiden
In the far west of Cologne, one of the absolute highlights of ancient Cologne can be visited. The Roman grave in Weiden is considered to be the bestpreserved Roman burial chamber north of the Alps. Wealthy landowners once buried their family members here, which today allows us to immerse ourselves in their world. The superstructure and the guard‘s house are now also of architectural interest, as they are the first examples of monument preservation from the 19th century. The former Cologne cathedral builder Ernst Friedrich Zwirner was involved in the construction of the complex. The guard‘s house also functions as a “learning place” and invites visitors into the time of ancient Cologne.
Opening hours: Thu + Sat 10 am to 1 pm and Sun 2 pm to 5 pm
St. Ursula & Ager Ursulanus
The Church of St. Ursula is not an ancient building, but a Romanesque church from the Middle Ages. However, it hides an ancient treasure that made Cologne very wealthy in the Middle Ages and is still immortalized in the city‘s coat of arms. The golden chamber of the church is a room equiped with relic bones. The bones were retrieved from a Roman burial site, the Ager Ursulanus. This cemetery, located outside the Roman city, was rediscovered in the Middle Ages and declared the burial ground of the martyrs around Saint Ursula. The city was therefore in possession of countless bones that were subsequently sold as relics. According to legend, Ursula, a Breton princess, was on her way home from a pilgrimage to Rome when Cologne was besieged by the Huns.
Unfortunately, Ursula and her ten virgin companions ran into the arms of Attila and his Huns, which did not end well. The people of Cologne subsequently interpreted the death of Ursula and her group as a sacrifice for the good of the city, which could not be raided by the Huns. Ursula thus became the city’s patroness. The eleven black specks in the city’s coat of arms were later included as a homage to the woman martyrs.
Opening hours: Tue - Sat 10 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm, Sun 3 pm to 5 pm
St. Maria im Kapitol – the Roman temple for the Capitoline Triad
The ancient construction is already included in the name of this Romanesque church. The nave of the church rests on the foundation of the Capitoline Temple of the CCAA and was dedicated to the three most important Roman deities Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The temple was surrounded by an enclosure that separated it from the urban surroundings and the western wall. In contrast to other Roman city complexes, CCAA‘s capitol temple is not located at the city‘s forum, but was built in the southeast corner above the Rhine and in direct proximity to the city wall.
Opening hours: Mon - Sat 9 am to 6 pm and Sun 1 pm to 6 pm
MiQua (preview)
Great things are happening in the heart of the city. The MiQua museum is currently being constructed on the site of the former Roman governor‘s place of the Lower Germanic province. The names Mikveh, refering to the name for a Jewish ritual bath, and Quarter merge in the name for the new museum. This summarizes that the Jewish bath as well as the Jewish quarter of the Middle Ages are being developed archaeologically. In the new building these will be combined with the archaeological zone of the Roman praetorium, creating a large new museum in the heart of the city. The combination of the two themes proves a perfect match. A legal text from Emperor Constantine, found in Cologne 321 AD, granted the Jewish community explicit protection and is the oldest documentation of Jewish life north of the Alps. The completion of the project will represent another milestone for Roman, Jewish and Cologne‘s history.
Excavations Divitia
On the right bank of the Rhine Cologne also has an ancient history in the form of the Divitia fort. A fortification was built there at the beginning of the 4th century under Emperor Constantine to improve the protection of the border. Parts of the fort‘s foundations, especially those of the east gate, are still visible. Most of the west side disappeared as a result of riverbank regulation in the 19th century. Another preserved element can be viewed on Rheinboulevard. The northwest tower, also called the “ham kettle,” is integrated into the boulevard and stands out as a semicircular element. As part of the Limes fortifications, the Divitia is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Basin of the Roman Eifel aqueduct
On the western outskirts of today‘s city there is a significant section of the CCAA‘s Roman fresh water pipeline. In the drainage basin of the Eifel water pipeline the flow rate of the water was slowed down so that dirt particles in the water settled on the ground and clean water flowed further into the city. Additional functions in the drainage basin enabled the Romans to turn off the waterflow to the city when the pipes needed to be renovated. Based on coins that were installed in the basin, the construction of the water pipe can be dated to 30 AD to 50 AD.
Ubier Monument
The oldest evidence of ancient stone construction in Cologne and north of the Alps can be found underground. The Ubier monument was originally a tower at least 12 m high an will in all probability have been part of the fortification of the Oppidum Ubiorum, the city of the Ubii. Later, when Cologne was elevated to the status of the city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in 50 AD, the tower was connected with the new city wall. In order to secure the foundation in the muddy soil on the banks of the Rhine, wooden piles were driven into the ground on which the foundation rests. Based on dendrochronological studies on the wooden piles, it was determined that the piles were felled around the 4th/5th century BC.
Opening hours: Every first Thursday of the month from 2 pm to 5 pm
On request, the Ubier monument can be visited as part of a guided tour at a desired date: service.museumsdienst@stadt-koeln.de
VisitKöln
KölnTourismus GmbH
Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1
D-50667 Köln
info@koelntourismus.de visit.koeln
Photos: Jesse von Laufenberg
Opening hours are subject to change, please check the websites for further information.
The texts within the leaflet were translated with the help of DeepL software and manually corrected and customized.
