Cologne - Händelstrasse

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior".

During WWII Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids. In April 1945, when the American armee reached Cologne, the city was completely ruined. About 90% of all houses in the inner city were - gone. In 1939 Cologne had had a population of more than 700.00. In spring 1945 there were only about 40.000, living in the ruins. So most of the buildings in Cologne are pretty "young".

This Jugendstil-building is well restored. Two fighting cocks over the doors. The architect´s signature "F. Dahmen" can still be seen. Dahmen was prize winning architect in Cologne in the early 20th century.