Cologne - Kunibertsturm

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".

The Kunibertsturm is the last remaining part of a strongly fortified gate, erected in the 11th century. During the time of the Inquisition, the tower was used as a prison and people probably got tortured here by their prosecutors.

In Cologne this tower is known under the name "Weckschnapp", refering to a legend, which reports on a cruel form of execution. The guards should have hung a "Weck" (piece if bread) onto the high ceiling of the prison. Since the prisoners got no further food, they tried after some time to jump up to "schnapp" (snap) the bread. They then fell through an opening trap door through shaft, equipped with knives, that led directly into the Rhine river. The legend tells, that only one, extremely thin prisoner ever survived.