#95 The 1275 Friendship Treaty: Siegfried von Westerburg and Cologne’s New Gothic City Seal
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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#94 The Expulsion of the Wise Men and the Aftermath of the Battle of Ulrepforte
1271: Three years after civil war tore Cologne apart, the aging Dominican friar Albertus Magnus was sent to end the deadlock between a captive archbishop and an ambitious count. But peace always comes at a cost — and in Cologne, that cost would change the balance of power for a century.
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#93 The Battle at Ulrepforte
On a dark October night in 1268, a secret tunnel, a betrayed alliance, and a struggle for power would decide the fate of medieval Cologne. What began as a feud between wealthy families turned into a bloody street battle beneath the city walls. Who dug the hole—and who paid the price? Join us as we uncover the forgotten story of the Battle of Ulrepforte.
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#92 Retrospective: High Medieval Cologne and the Rise of the Citizenry
In this retrospective episode, we explore how medieval Cologne’s citizens gradually challenged the authority of their archbishops, built their own institutions, and laid the foundations for urban independence in the High Middle Ages.
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#91 From a Dance in the Streets to Chaos at the City Walls in 1265
Cologne, 1265 — a city under siege, its streets brimming with unrest and uneasy alliances. When political grudges spill over into the night, strange visions, whispered plots, and a deadly dance leave their mark on the medieval metropolis. In this episode, we follow an archbishop who can’t stop picking fights, a city that won’t bow, and the shadowy hands fanning the flames in between.
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