Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-07-10
cologne ON the Eshine-Tts Cathe
dra1.

Us SAAC kN1A1AC-IES GGHERGi
i dra1.
t The ancient and the modern city-n
o former greafness.-A correspondent of tn
!. Cleveland Herald, in brief compass pre-
" SCENTS very graphic view of the venera
Is bic city OF Cologne in Germany, which !
+ widely known from the great events tina
. have occurred there, as almost anv civ !,
the world:
IS :; Cologne, April 25, 1854.
& Tins city is one Of the oldest of norther,
e Germany, ltsexistence having commenced
: ny TIE location Of a camp here by March,:
Agnppa. It abounds in traces Of the Ro
= , man people, such as alters, coins and in
!, scrlptions, which have from time to time
been brought to light; and portions of the
: former walls built by them yet exist. It
IS associated, too, with names renowned in
r roman history. Agnppina, the mother
OF Nero, was born here in the camp of her
, father, Germanicus; the colony established
here was then named after her Coloia A o.
rlpplra, and from that is derived its mod
ern appellation. The Emperor Traian
was here called to assume the imperial
robes,and Vitellius and Sylvanus were both
proclaimed here.
During the middle ages, it rapidly in
creased in prosperity and Importance, until
IN the thirteenth century, it had attained
Its greatest heighth. At that time it was
one OF the chief members of the Hanseatic
league, and could send 10000 fighting
men into the field Its University was a.
mong the most renowned of Europe; and,
besides It's many other public, and private
buildings of note, it contained within It's
wall literally as many churches as there are
days IN the year. A rapid decline follow
ca thus period Of prosperity and splendor 4
the course of religious intolerance fell up
on it, and under its bighting influence, it
sank to place Of minor Importance. The
first act Of bigotry was the persecution and
expulsion Of the Jews; and the final blow
was given by the expiration of the Pro
testant $ IN 16l8,by which latter act alone
no less than fourteen hundred families were
driven away, to build up, by their industry
and capitol, rival cities in the vicinity.
OF late years the city has increased in
business and size and improved in appear
ance, until now it seems to be shaken offG
the sleep OF centuries for a new race. -
Streets are being widened, land modern bull
dlngs succeeding those Of the middle ages.
The restoration of the free navigation of
the Rhine has conduced, in great meas
are, to this. The re strietions formerly ex-
sting were removed, in accordance with 8
treaties, IN 1887, and sea-going vessels are q
now constructed here and commerce is car I
red on with foreign countries and although +
. Is situated at too great distance rom e
be vas5eret9 eoras qutgy, vNootlttairssss
ong the Rhine distaice of two and a half 10
miles, presents most of the way busting /
and lively appearance. The companies Of a
just about leaveing the Father /
and for the western world, contribute, in n
The greatest degree, to this, and are not
jhe least interesting part Of the scene
Cologne, at presant, contains about go lr
300 inhabitants. It is situated on the left t
bank of the Rhine, and connected with the t
opposite shore by bridge Of boats, The
situation of the city is not an elevated one, (
but it is most strongly fortified; the line
Of Notifications extending a distance Off
nearly five English miles from the toweri |
and fort which command the river above II
the city to those below it; and, while at 3
Antwerp and Aix-la-C hapelle the fortifca- Il
tons are assuming the character Of prom S
onades, and these cities are pushing them K
selves out beyond the walls and surround
ing them closely with residence and villas, l.
here there is nothing Of that, and from the k
outside, Cologne presents a front as war 5
like and unapproachable as at any time {
during the past, It is the stronghold of
Prussia on the western side of the Rhine.
The chief attraction here is the Cathe-
dral, or rather the part Of one, for although
as early as 124S, it is not fin $
ished, and it had nearly become a ruin
The fragments which is to be seen can on
ly cause deep regret that so noble a work |
should not have been completed-from the
massive and graceful style in which it is
built, it would have presented the finest J
specimen of Gothic architecture in the '
world, end the architect deserved better
fate than his name should entirely be for
gotten and lost. At the west end are the
portions of two towers which according to
the design were to be carried to the height
of five hundred feet; the highest stands
now at about one hundred and sixty feet,
the other far less The choir is the only
part completed; this was dedicated in
1922. f