Cologne has a very long history, dating back almost 2000
years to ancient Rome. The name “Cologne” comes from the Latin colonia, a term for a Roman settlement. The
city’s original name was “Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium,” or CCAA for
short, a name which honored the Roman Emperor Claudius’ wife Agrippina Minor,
who was born in Cologne.
This week, here in Cologne and in other parts of the
Rhineland, everyone is celebrating Karneval, which is basically the equivalent
of Mardi Gras. Like Mardi Gras, Karneval is characterized by parties, parades,
parties, drinking, parties, eating rich food, parties, outlandish costumes,
parties, and a fair share of extravagant or extreme behavior. Oh, and did I
mention parties?
Karneval festivities begin in earnest the week before Ash
Wednesday. There are numerous events both day and night (did I mention
parties?), but probably the most popular event here in Cologne is the
Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, parade.
The parade has several floats and people on foot. Most of
the floats have a political satire theme, such as the one in the picture, in
which Chancellor Angela Merkel is portrayed as a mother pig weary from
providing sustenance to her “young,” a group of 4 young pigs with the flags of
the so-called European “PIGS” nations (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain)
painted on their backs. It’s a comment about the need for the
economically-struggling nations to “wean” themselves from their financial
dependence on Germany’s bailouts.
It is common for attendees to wear costumes, and apparently
the more outlandish and/or colorful the better.
Often, a group of friends will wear matching costumes.
Others are in a class all by themselves.
However, all good things must come to an end, and Karneval
ends when Ash Wednesday begins at midnight on Tuesday. So, it was time to move
on to the other things Cologne has to offer.
One “must see” (or more like a “can’t miss”) in Cologne is
the cathedral. Construction began on the cathedral in 1248, but work was
suspended for several centuries and it actually wasn’t completed until 1880.
Its twin towers are over 500 feet tall, making it the largest church façade in the
world.
After leaving the cathedral I stopped next door to visit the
Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Roman-Germanic Museum).
Its centerpiece is the
Dionysus Mosaic, which was once the floor of a banquet hall for a Roman villa
that stood on this site. It dates to about 220 AD and is made up of over 1
million small cubes of glass, limestone, and ceramic. It contains images of the
mythological god Dionysus, who was worshipped as the god of wine, vegetation,
chaos, and theatre.
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| detail from mosaic |
The mosaic lay hidden underground until it was discovered
in 1941. It is still in its original findspot, and the museum was actually
built around it. How ironic that the Christians who selected the site for the
cathedral had no idea there was a pagan monument buried right beside it!
Not far from the cathedral and museum is the Hohenzollern Bridge.
The bridge is famous for the enormous number of padlocks secured to it. It is a
custom for lovers to attach a padlock to the fencing and throw the key into the
river as a symbol of their everlasting love. There must be thousands of
padlocks, way too many to count. They come in all sizes, some colored, some
inscribed, and some plain and simple.
After that it was on to Aachen. Aachen was a military spa
town during the time of the Roman Empire. Today, it is home to the Carolus
Thermen Bad Aachen (Carolus Baths of the Aachen Spa).
Aachen is also famous as the residence of King Charlemagne,
who built his palace and accompanying chapel here in 805 AD. After his death,
Charlemagne was buried here. Beginning in the 10th century AD, this
was the site for the coronation of German kings for over 600 years.
While in Aachen I ate at the Aachener Brauhaus at Kapuzinergraben
4. The atmosphere was rustic and the food was reasonably priced. I had the Große
Bockwurst mit Pommes Frites und Krautsalatgarnitur. It was delicious. If you’re
ever in Aachen, you should try it.
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