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Cologne

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 50°57′N 6°58′E
                             Cologne (Köln)
   Coat of arms of Cologne Location of Cologne in Germany
     __________________________________________________________________

   Country                 Germany
   State                   North Rhine-Westphalia
   Administrative region   Cologne
   District                urban district
   Population              986,168 source (June 2006)
   Area                    405.15 km²
   Population density      2,434 / km²
   Elevation               37-118 m
   Coordinates             50°57′ N 6°58′ E
   Postal code             50441-51149
   Area code               0221
   Licence plate code      K
   Mayor                   Fritz Schramma ( CDU)
   Website                 stadt-koeln.de

   Cologne (German: Köln  /kœln/; Kölsch: Kölle /ˈkœɫə/) 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 12 million inhabitants. It is one of
   the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in A.D.
   50.

   Cologne lies at the River Rhine and the city's world famous Cologne
   Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is seat to a Roman Catholic Archdiocese, just as
   important to the city as its specially brewed Kölsch beer. Cologne
   University is one of Europe's oldest universities and internationally
   renowned for its departments of economics and computer science.

   Cologne is the economic and cultural capital of the Rhineland and has a
   vibrant and thriving art scene. Cologne counts over 30 museums and
   hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local Ancient Roman
   archaeological findings to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The
   city's Trade Fair Grounds are host to a number of trade shows such as
   the Art Cologne Fair, the International Furniture Fair (IMM) and the
   Photokina. Cologne is also well known for its celebration of Cologne
   Carnival.

   In 2005 Cologne hosted the 20th Roman Catholic World Youth Day with
   Pope Benedict XVI and one of the largest ever meetings of over a
   million participants.

Geography

   The city covers an area of 405.15 km² (about 156 miles²), on both sides
   of the River Rhine. Cologne lies between 37.5 and 118.04 m above sea
   level. The city of Bonn lies 30 km to the south, and Düsseldorf lies 40
   km to the north.

Demographics

   Cologne is the 4th most populous city in Germany, behind Berlin,
   Hamburg and Munich. As of June 30th 2006, Cologne's population was
   986,168, using the German standard method of only counting persons
   whose primary residence (German: Hauptwohnsitz) was in the city.
   Notwithstanding, the city of Cologne also includes those with an
   auxiliary residence (German: Nebenwohnsitz), thus raising the figure to
   1,023,101. This refers mainly to students, who retain their primary
   residence in their former hometown, while only claiming an auxiliary
   residence in Cologne. The population density was 2,434/km² (6,302/mi²).
   According to the local statistics, 313,386 people have a migration
   background . Twenty per cent of Cologne's population is non-German. Of
   those, 40% (or 8% of the total population) are Turkish.

   In the city the population was spread out with 15.9% under the age of
   18, 67.5% from 18 to 64 and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older.
   For every 100 females there were 94.8 males.

Administration

   Cologne is incorporated under the rule of the Gemeindeordnung
   Nordrhein-Westfalen (GO NRW) (Municipality Code of North
   Rhine-Westphalia). The city's administration is headed by a lord mayor
   and two mayors. Cologne is the only city in Germany with an explicit
   tax on prostitution which explains the city's relative open-mindedness
   towards sex businesses. See the article on prostitution in Germany for
   details.

The Coat of Arms of Cologne

   The three crowns symbolize the Magi or Three Kings whose bones are said
   to be kept in a golden sarcophagus in Cologne Cathedral (see Shrine of
   the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral). In 1164, Cologne's archbishop
   Rainald of Dassel brought the relics to the city, making it a major
   pilgrimage destination. This led to the design of the current cathedral
   as the predecessor was considered too small to accommodate the
   pilgrims.

   The eleven flames are a reminder of Cologne's patron, St. Ursula, a
   Britannic princess, and her legendary 11,000 virgin companions who were
   supposedly martyred by Attila the Hun at Cologne for their Christian
   faith in 383 A.D. Very probably, the entourage of St. Ursula and the
   number of victims was significantly smaller. According to one source,
   the original legend referred to only eleven companions and the number
   was later inflated by traders in relics (cf. Glaube, Lüge, Hoffnung,
   Spiegel Online, June 8, 2006).

Economy

   Cologne plays a paramount role in Germany's television industry. It is
   home to Westdeutscher Rundfunk ( WDR) - the biggest branch of ARD, the
   syndicate of German public broadcasters. Cologne is also home to the
   private broadcaster RTL, as well as a large number of smaller media,
   television and film production companies.

   Cologne has a large gay community. The city is a stronghold of
   Germany's gay movement and harbours the headquarters of Germany's
   largest homosexual lobby group.

   Cologne is well known for its beer, called Kölsch. Kölsch is also the
   name of the local dialect. This has led to the common joke that Kölsch
   is the only language you can drink.

   One of Cologne's largest companies is the European headquarters of the
   Ford Motor Company with large administrative, technical and production
   departments.

   Cologne is also famous for Eau de Cologne. At the beginning of the 18th
   century, Italian expatriate Johann Maria Farina (1685-1766) created a
   new fragrance and named it after his hometown Cologne, Eau de Cologne
   (Water from Cologne). In the course of the 18th century the fragrance
   became increasingly popular. Eventually, Cologne merchant Wilhelm
   Mülhens secured the name Farina, which at that time had become a
   household name for Eau de Cologne, under contract and opened a small
   factory at Cologne's Glockengasse. In later years, and under pressure
   from court battles, his grandson Ferdinand Mülhens chose a new name for
   the firm and their product. It was the house number that was given to
   the factory at Glockengasse during French occupation of the Rhineland
   in the early 19th century, number 4711. In 1994, the Mülhens family
   sold their company to German Wella corporation. Today, original Eau de
   Cologne (German: Kölnisch Wasser) still is produced in Cologne by both
   the Farina family (Farina gegenüber since 1709), currently in the
   eighth generation, and by Procter & Gamble who took over Wella in 2003.

History

Roman Cologne

   The first urban settlement on the grounds of what today is the centre
   of Cologne was Oppidum Ubiorum, which was founded in 38 B.C. by the
   germanic tribe Ubii. Cologne became acknowledged as a city by the
   Romans in 50 A.D. by the name of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium
   (CCAA). In 310 Constantine built a bridge over the Rhine at Cologne.

   Maternus, who was elected as bishop in 313 was the first known bishop
   of Cologne. In 785, Cologne became the seat of an archbishop.

Middle Ages

   Cologne Cathedral
   Enlarge
   Cologne Cathedral
   Ulrepforte city gate (MHG for "Potter's Gate"): part of the mediaeval
   city wall
   Enlarge
   Ulrepforte city gate ( MHG for "Potter's Gate"): part of the mediaeval
   city wall

   During the time of the Holy Roman Empire the Archbishop of Cologne was
   one of the seven Electors and one of the three ecclesiastical electors.
   He ruled a large area as a secular lord in the Middle Ages, but in 1288
   he was defeated in the battle of Worringen by the Cologne citizens and
   forced to move to Bonn. Cologne's location at the intersection of the
   river Rhine with one of the major trade routes between East and West
   was the basis of Cologne's growth. Cologne was a member of the
   Hanseatic League and became an Imperial Free City officially in 1475.
   Interestingly the archbishop nevertheless preserved the right of
   capital punishment. Thus, the municipal council (though in strict
   political opposition towards the archbishop) depended upon him in all
   matters concerning criminal jurisdiction. This included torture, which
   sentence was only allowed to be handed down by the Episcopal judge, the
   so-called "Greve". This legal situation lasted until the French
   conquest of Cologne.

   Besides its economic and political significance Cologne also became an
   outstanding centre of medieval pilgrimage, when Cologne's Archbishop
   Rainald of Dassel gave the relics of the Three Wise Men to Cologne's
   cathedral in 1164 (after they in fact had been captured from Milano).
   Besides the three magi Cologne preserves the relics of Saint Ursula and
   Albertus Magnus.

   The economic structures of medieval and early modern Cologne were
   characterized by the town's status as a major harbour and
   transportation hub upon the Rhine. Craftsmanship was organized by
   self-administrating guilds, some of which were exclusive to women.

   As a free city Cologne was an estate within the Holy Roman Empire and
   as such had the right (and obligation) of maintaining its own military
   force. Wearing a red uniform these troops were known as the Rote Funken
   (red sparks). These soldiers were part of the Army of the Holy Roman
   Empire ("Reichskontingent") and fought in the wars of the 17th and 18th
   century including the wars against revolutionary France, where the
   small force almost completely perished in combat. The tradition of
   these troops is preserved as a military persiflage by Cologne's most
   outstanding carnival society, the Rote Funken .

   The free city of Cologne must not be confused with the Archbishops of
   Cologne. The latter were an estate of their own within the body of the
   Holy Roman Empire. Since the second half of the 16th century the
   archbishops were taken from the Bavarian dynasty Wittelsbach. Due to
   the free status of Cologne, the archbishops usually were not allowed to
   enter the town. Thus they took residence in Bonn and later on in Brühl
   on Rhine. As members of an influential and powerful family and
   supported by their outstanding status as electors the archbishops of
   Cologne repeatedly challenged and threatened the free status of Cologne
   during the 17th and 18th century, resulting in complicated affairs,
   which were handled by diplomatic means and propaganda as well as by the
   supreme courts of the Holy Roman Empire.

19th and 20th century

   Cologne lost its status as a free city during the French period.
   According to the Peace Treaty of Lunéville ( 1801) all the territories
   of the Holy Roman Empire on the left bank of the Rhine were officially
   incorporated into the French Republic (which already had occupied
   Cologne in 1798). Thus, this region later became part of Napoleon's
   Empire. Cologne was part of the French Département Roer (named after
   the River Roer, German: Rur) with Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) as its
   capital. The French modernised public life by introducing the Code
   Napoleon as civil code and removing the old elites from power, to cite
   two examples. The Code Napoleon was in use in the German territories on
   the left bank of the Rhine until the year 1900, when for the first time
   the German Empire passed a nationwide unique civil code (" Bürgerliches
   Gesetzbuch"). In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, Cologne was made part
   of the kingdom of Prussia.

   The permanent tensions between the Catholic Rhineland and the
   overwhelmingly Protestant Prussian state repeatedly escalated with
   Cologne being in the focus of the conflict. In 1837 the archbishop of
   Cologne Clemens August von Droste-Vischering was arrested and
   imprisoned for two years after a dispute over the legal status of
   marriages between Protestants and Catholics ("Mischehenstreit"). In
   1874 during the Kulturkampf archbishop cardinal Paul Melchers was
   arrested and imprisoned. He fled to the Netherlands and was searched
   for like an ordinary criminal by a warrant of apprehension. These
   conflicts alienated the Catholic population from Berlin and contributed
   to a deeply felt anti-Prussian resentment, which was still significant
   after World War II, when the former mayor of Cologne Konrad Adenauer
   became the first West German chancellor.

   During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Cologne incorporated
   numerous surrounding towns, and by the time of World War I had already
   grown to 600,000 inhabitants. Industrialization changed the city and
   spurred its growth. Especially booming branches were vehicle
   construction and engine building. Heavy industry was less ubiquitous as
   opposed to the Ruhr Area. The cathedral, started in 1248 but abandoned
   around 1560, was eventually finished in 1880 not only as a religious
   building but also as a German national monument celebrating the newly
   founded German empire as well as the continuity of the German nation
   since the Middle Ages. Sometimes urban growth happened very much at the
   expense of the town's historic heritage with many buildings being
   broken down (e.g. the city walls or the surroundings of the cathedral)
   or replaced by contemporary constructions. On the other side Cologne
   was turned into a heavily armed fortress (opposing the French and
   Belgian fortresses of Verdun and Liège) with two fortified belts
   surrounding the town, the relics of which can be seen until today. The
   military demands of what finally turned out to be Germany's largest
   fortress meant a huge obstacle to urban development, as forts, bunkers
   and dugouts with a vast and plain shooting field before them completely
   encircled the town and prevented any expansion beyond the fortified
   line, resulting in a very dense built-up area within town itself.

   After WWI, during which several minor air raids had targeted the city,
   Cologne was occupied by British Forces under the terms of the armistice
   and the subsequent Versailles Peace Treaty. The occupation lasted until
   1926. In contrast to the harsh measures of French occupation troops in
   the Rhineland the British acted much more tactfully towards the local
   population. The mayor of Cologne (the future West German chancellor)
   Konrad Adenauer paid them respect for their political significance, as
   the British withstood the French ambitions for a permanent Allied
   occupation of the Rhineland. In 1919 the University of Cologne (which
   had been closed by the French in 1798) was refounded. It was meant as a
   substitute for the German University of Strasbourg which had become
   French in 1918/19. The era of the Weimar Republic ( 1919 - 1933)
   rendered very prolific for Cologne. Many improvements were made under
   the guidance of Mayor Konrad Adenauer, especially as far as public
   governance, housing, planning and social affairs are concerned. Large
   public parks were created, in particular the two "Grüngürtel" (green
   belts), which were planned on the areas of the former fortifications.
   They had been dismantled according to the de-militarization of the
   Rhineland under the terms of the peace treaty, albeit this project was
   unfinished until 1933. Public housing was executed in a way that it
   became exemplary all over Germany. As Cologne competed for hosting the
   Olympics a modern stadium was erected in Müngerdorf. By the end of the
   British occupation German civil aviation was readmitted over Cologne
   and the airport of Butzweilerhof soon became an outstanding hub of
   national and international air traffic, second in Germany only to
   Berlin-Tempelhof. By 1939 the population had risen to 772,221. Compared
   to other major cities the Nazis didn't gain decisive support in Cologne
   and the votes casted for the NSDAP at the election for the Reichstag
   always accounted below the average result of the Reich.

World War II

   During World War II, Köln was a Military Area Command Headquarters
   (Militärische Bereich Befehl Hauptsitze) for Military District
   (Wehrkreis) VI in Münster. Cologne was under the command of
   Generalleutnant Freiherr Roeder von Diersburg, who was responsible for
   military operations at Bonn, Siegburg, Aachen, Julich, Duren, and
   Monschau. Cologne was the Home Station for the 211th Infantry Regiment
   and the 26th Artillery Regiment.
   Devastation of Cologne in 1945
   Enlarge
   Devastation of Cologne in 1945

   In World War II, Cologne endured exactly 262 air raids by the Western
   Allies, which caused approximately 20,000 civilian casualties and
   completely wiped out the centre of the city. During the night of May
   31, 1942, Cologne was the site of " Operation Millennium", the first
   1,000 bomber raid by the Royal Air Force in World War II. 1,046 heavy
   bombers attacked their target with 1,455 tons of explosive. This raid
   lasted about 75 minutes, destroyed 600 acres of built-up area, killed
   486 civilians and made 59,000 people homeless. By the end of the war,
   the population of Cologne was reduced by 95%. This loss was mainly
   caused by a massive evacuation of the people to more rural areas, as
   was the same as in many other German cities in the last two years of
   war. At the end of 1945, the population had already risen to about
   500,000 again.
   By that time, essentially all of Cologne's pre-war Jewish population of
   20,000 had been annihilated. Some 11,000 are believed to have been
   murdered by the Nazis. The synagogue, originally built between 1895 and
   1899 by architects Wilhelm Schreiterer and Bernhard Below, was severely
   damaged during the pogrom of November 9, 1938 ( Kristallnacht) and
   finally destroyed during Allied air raids between 1943 and 1945. It was
   reconstructed in the 1950s. The Cologne synagogue was the stage of a
   historic event in 2005, when the German-born pope Benedict XVI was the
   second pope ever to visit a synagogue.

Post-war Cologne

   The Kölnturm (150 m)
   Enlarge
   The Kölnturm (150 m)
   Chorweiler, a social housing development from the 1970's in the north
   of Cologne
   Enlarge
   Chorweiler, a social housing development from the 1970's in the north
   of Cologne

   Despite Cologne's being the largest city in the region nearby
   Düsseldorf was chosen as the political capital of the newly set-up
   Federal State Nordrhein-Westfalen. With Bonn being chosen as the
   capital (German: Bundeshauptstadt) and seat of the government of the
   Federal Republic of Germany, Cologne benefited by being sandwiched
   between the two important political centres of former West Germany. The
   city became home to a large number of Federal agencies and
   organisations. After re-unification in 1990 a new situation has been
   politically co-ordinated with the new Federal capital city of Berlin.

   For Cologne mayors refer to: List of mayors of Cologne.

   In 1945 architect and urban planner Rudolf Schwarz called Cologne the
   "world's greatest heap of debris". Schwarz designed the master plan of
   reconstruction in 1947, which called for the construction of several
   new thoroughfares through the downtown area, especially the
   'Nord-Süd-Fahrt' (North-South-Drive). The Master plan took into
   consideration the fact that even shortly after the war a large increase
   in automobile traffic could be anticipated. Plans for new roads had
   already to a certain degree evolved under the Nazi administration, but
   the actual construction became easier in times when the majority of
   downtown lots were undeveloped. The destruction of famous Romanesque
   churches like St. Gereon, Great St. Martin, St. Maria im Capitol and
   about a dozen others in World War II meant a tremendous loss of
   cultural substance to the city. The rebuilding of those churches and
   other landmarks like the Gürzenich was not undisputed among leading
   architects and art historians at that time, but in most cases, civil
   intention prevailed. The reconstruction lasted until the 1990s, when
   Romanesque church of St. Kunibert was finished.

   It took some time to rebuild the city. In 1959 the city's population
   reached pre-war numbers again. Afterwards the city grew steadily, and,
   in 1975, the number exceeded 1 million inhabitants for about one year.
   Since then, the number lingers slightly underneath.

   In the 1980s and 1990s Cologne's economy prospered from two factors:
   First, the steady growth in the number of media companies, pertaining
   to both the private and the public sector. Catering especially to these
   companies is the newly developed Media Park, which creates a strongly
   visual focal point in downtown Cologne and includes the KölnTurm, one
   of Cologne's most prominent high-rises. And second, a permanent
   improvement of the diverse traffic infrastructure, which makes Cologne
   one of the most easily accessible metropolitan areas in Central Europe.

   Due to the economic success of the Cologne Trade Fair, the city
   arranged a large extension to the fair site in 2005. At the same time
   the original buildings, which date back to the 1920s are rented out to
   RTL, Germany's largest private broadcaster, as their new corporate
   headquarters.

Landmarks

   Cologne Cathedral with Hohenzollern Bridge
   Enlarge
   Cologne Cathedral with Hohenzollern Bridge
   Cologne Cathedral at sunset
   Enlarge
   Cologne Cathedral at sunset
   Great St. Martin Church
   Enlarge
   Great St. Martin Church

   The centre of Cologne was completely destroyed during World War II. The
   reconstruction of the city followed the style of the 1950s, while
   respecting the old layout and naming of the streets. Thus, the city
   today is characterised by simple and modest post-war buildings, with
   few interspersed pre-war buildings which were reconstructed due to
   their historical importance. Some buildings of the "Wiederaufbauzeit"
   (era of reconstruction), for example the opera house by Wilhelm
   Riphahn, are nowadays regarded as classics in modern architecture.
   Nevertheless, the uncompromising style of the opera house and other
   modern buildings has remained controversial.
     * Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is the city's famous
       landmark and unofficial symbol. It is a Gothic church, started in
       1248, and completed in 1880. In 1996, it was designated a World
       Heritage site; it claims to house the relics of the Three Magi. It
       is interesting to note, that the residents of Cologne call the
       cathedral "the eternal construction site". They predict that by the
       time the renovation of the building has finished the end of the
       world will be upon us!
     * Twelve Romanesque Churches: These buildings are outstanding
       examples of medieval sacral architecture. The roots of some of the
       churches date back as far as Roman times, like St. Gereon, which
       originally was a chapel on a Roman graveyard. With the exception of
       St. Maria Lyskirchen all of these churches were very badly damaged
       during World War II. Reconstruction was only finished in the 1990s.
     * Cologne University, with approx. 44,000 students as of 2005, is one
       of the largest universities in Germany.
     * Fragrance-Museum Farina House, the birthplace of Eau de Cologne.
     * Römisch-Germanisches Museum (English: Roman-Germanic Museum)
     * Wallraf-Richartz Museum
     * Museum Ludwig
     * EL-DE Haus the former local headquarters of the Gestapo houses a
       museum documenting the Nazi rule in Cologne with a special focus on
       the prosecution of political dissenters and minorities.
     * Kölner Philharmonie - the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra Building
       housing both the Gürzenich-Orchestra and the WDR Symphony Orchestra
       Cologne.
     * RheinEnergieStadion, the major Cologne stadium, primarily used for
       football games, seating 50,997 visitors in national games and
       46,134 in international games, home to the local 2. Bundesliga
       team, 1.FC Köln, and to the local NFL Europe team, the Cologne
       Centurions.
     * Kölnarena, a multifunctional event hall, home to the local ice
       hockey team, the Kölner Haie (English: Cologne Sharks).
     * Kölnturm (English: Cologne Tower), Cologne's second tallest
       building at 150 metres in height, second only to the cathedral.
     * Colonius - a telecommunication tower with an observation deck.
     * Colonia-Hochhaus - Germany's tallest residential building.
     * Hansa-Hochhaus - designed by architect Jakob Koerfer and completed
       in 1925, it was at one time Europe's tallest office building.
     * Rheinseilbahn - an aerial tramway crossing the Rhine.
     * Messe Köln (English: Cologne Fair). Exhibition area of 100000m².
     * Messeturm Köln (English: Exhibition Tower Cologne).
     * Hohe Strasse (English: High Street) is one of the main shopping
       areas and extends past the cathedral in an approximately southerly
       direction. This street is particularly popular with tourists and
       contains many gift shops, clothing stores, fast food restaurants
       and electronic goods dealers.
     * Ford Motor Company plants, assembling the Ford Fiesta and Ford
       Fusion as well as manufacturing engines and parts.
     * Schildergasse - extends the shopping area of Hohe Strasse to the
       west ending at Neumarkt.
     * Ehrenstrasse - the shopping area around Apostelnstrasse,
       Ehrenstrasse, and Rudolfplatz is a little more on the eccentric and
       stylish side.
     * Historic Ringe boulevards (such as Hohenzollernring,
       Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring, Hansaring) with their medieval city gates
       (such as Hahnentorburg on Rudolfplatz) are also known for their
       night life.
     * German Sports & Olympic Museum, with expositions about sports from
       antiquity until the present.
     * Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolatemuseum) officially called
       Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum.

Transportation

Highways

   Major roads through and around Cologne.
   Enlarge
   Major roads through and around Cologne.

   Highway building has already been a mayor issue in the 1920s under the
   leadership of mayor Konrad Adenauer. The first German limited access
   highway was constructed after 1929 between Cologne and Bonn. Today,
   this is A 555. In 1965 Cologne became the first German city to be fully
   encircled by a freeway belt. Roughly at the same time a downtown bypass
   freeway ("Stadtautobahn") was planned, but only partially executed, due
   to opposition by environmental groups. The completed section became
   Bundesstraße (Federal Road) B 55a which begins at the Zoobrücke (Zoo
   Bridge) and meets with A 4 and A 3 at the interchange Cologne East.
   Nevertheless, it is referred to as Stadtautobahn by most locals. Fully
   accomplished in contrast was the Nord-Süd-Fahrt (North-South-Drive), a
   new four/six lane downtown thoroughfare, which has already been
   anticipated by planners like Fritz Schumacher in the 1920s. The last
   section south of Ebertplatz was completed in 1972.

   In 2005 the first stretch of an eight-lane freeway in North
   Rhine-Westphalia was opened to traffic on A 3, part of the eastern
   section of the freeway belt between the interchanges Cologne East and
   Heumar.

Public mass transportation

   Underground light rail at Dom/Central Station
   Enlarge
   Underground light rail at Dom/Central Station
   ICE3 at Cologne Central Station
   Enlarge
   ICE3 at Cologne Central Station

   Cologne has Deutsche Bahn Service with Intercity and ICE-trains
   stopping at Köln Hauptbahnhof (Cologne Central Station), Köln-Deutz
   station and at Cologne Bonn Airport (Konrad-Adenauer-Airport). The
   Cologne Stadtbahn (Kölner-Verkehrs-Betriebe) (tram) operates an
   extensive light rail system (partially underground) serving Cologne and
   some neighbouring cities.

Air transport

   Cologne's international airport is called Konrad-Adenauer-Flughafen. It
   is named after Germany's post-war Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, who was
   born in Cologne and was also mayor of the city from 1917 until 1933.
   The airport is shared with the neighbouring city of Bonn.

Sports

   Since 1997 the city hosts the annual Cologne Marathon.

Sister cities

   This is a list of cities which are " cultural pen pals" of Cologne, as
   well as the year they first established this relationship.
     * United Kingdom - Liverpool (United Kingdom), since 1952
     * France - Lille (France), since 1958
     * Belgium - Liège (Belgium), since 1958
     * Netherlands - Rotterdam (Netherlands), since 1958
     * Italy - Turin (Italy), since 1958
     * Japan - Kyoto (Japan), since 1963
     * Tunisia - Tunis (Tunisia), since 1964
     * Finland - Turku (Finland), since 1967
     * Germany - Neukölln (Berlin), since 1967
     * Israel - Tel Aviv-Jaffa (Israel), since 1979
     * Spain - Barcelona (Spain), since 1984
     * People's Republic of China - Beijing ( People’s Republic of China),
       since 1987

     * Greece - Thessaloniki (Greece), since 1988
     * Republic of Ireland - Cork (Ireland), since 1988
     * Nicaragua - Corinto / El Realejo (Nicaragua), since 1988
     * United States - Indianapolis (U.S.), since 1988
     * Russia - Volgograd (Russia), since 1988
     * Germany - Treptow-Köpenick (Berlin), since 1990
     * Poland - Katowice (Poland), since 1991
     * Palestinian National Authority - Bethlehem (West Bank), since 1996
     * Turkey - İstanbul (Turkey), since 1997
     * Romania - Cluj-Napoca (Romania), since 1999
     * United Kingdom - Dunstable (United Kingdom), only Porz-Am-Rhein

Born in Cologne

   Famous people whose roots can be found in Cologne:
     * Adenauer, Konrad ( January 5, 1876 - April 19, 1967), politician,
       Mayor of Cologne from 1917 to 1933 and German Chancellor between
       1949 and 1963
     * Blum, Robert ( November 10, 1807 - November 9, 1848), politician
       and martyr of the 19th century democratic movement in Germany
     * Böll, Heinrich ( December 21, 1917 - July 16, 1985), writer and
       winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 1972
     * Calatrava, Alex ( June 14, 1973), Spanish professional tennis
       player
     * Ernst, Max ( April 2, 1891 - April 1, 1976), artist
     * Kier, Udo (born October 14, 1944), actor
     * Lauterbach, Heiner (born April 10, 1953), actor
     * Millowitsch, Willy ( January 8, 1909 - September 20, 1999), actor
       and playwright
     * Liebert, Ottmar (born February 1, 1961), musician
     * Offenbach, Jacques ( June 20, 1819 - October 5, 1880), composer
     * Raab, Stefan Konrad (born October 20, 1966), entertainer and
       comedian
     * Vondel, Joost van den ( November 17, 1587 - February 5, 1679), poet
       and playwright
     * Weimar, Robert (born May 13, 1932), legal scientist and
       psychologist

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