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105 episodes

#99 The Great Treason of 1288 - Cologne joins the Battle of Worringen
2026/06/04 | 33 mins.
In this episode, we step back to June 4, 1288, the eve of one of the most significant military clashes in medieval European history. We find Archbishop Siegfried von Westerburg waiting in the dim light of Brauweiler Abbey, confident in his superior numbers but facing a shocking betrayal. We deconstruct the popular myths of "freedom-loving citizens vs. tyrannical lords" to reveal a complex power struggle involving the Limburg succession dispute and a strategic shift that changed the Rhine forever.
#98 A Who’s Who of the Battle of Worringen 1288
2026/05/11 | 34 mins.
On 5 June 1288, the Battle of Worringen took place, serving as the violent climax to the Limburg War of Succession. This battle featured a "who's who" of the north-western Holy Roman Empire and transformed the Rhineland from a chaotic mosaic of dominions into a new political reality. Rather than a tale of good versus evil, the conflict was a raw struggle for land, power, and the right to dominate the region
#97 The Limburg War of Succession
2026/03/31 | 26 mins.
The Limburg War of Succession (1283–1288) was a brutal, five-year power struggle triggered by the death of Waleran IV, Duke of Limburg, and his only daughter, Irmgard.

Since they left no direct heirs, the strategic and wealthy Duchy of Limburg (located in modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands) became the ultimate prize for the regional superpowers of the time. And Cologne in the middle of it.
#96 The Holy Roman Empire at the Time of the Battle of Worringen
2026/03/09 | 29 mins.
How could such a violent battle at Worringen in 1288 happen? Just north of Cologne's city limits? In this episode we take a short look at the Empire as a whole and how it was fundamentally changing on its way into the Late Middle Ages and affecting the events to unfold in the Battle of Worringen.
#95 The 1275 Friendship Treaty: Siegfried von Westerburg and Cologne’s New Gothic City Seal
2025/11/24 | 38 mins.
In 1275, Cologne entered an unexpected agreement that reshaped its relationship with one of the most powerful men in the empire: the new Archbishop of Cologne. At the same time, the city received a remarkable new Gothic seal—an object that tells us more about medieval identity, politics, and ambition than any charter ever could.
How did all this come together? And why did it matter so much?
Join us as we follow the early moves in a story that will echo all the way to Worringen.

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About The History of Cologne

The History of Cologne is a podcast that tells the story of Cologne, Germany. It’s a city with 2,000 years worth of history and it has so much to tell! Listen to the city growing. Dive into the early history of the city being founded by the Romans. How did it become a bustling medieval city? How did Cologne perform during Napoleon and the Industrial Revolution? And how about the Nazi time? Triweekly schedule, going chronological from the Roman roots up until today. Where is this podcast now in the chronology: 1198

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