COLOGNE, ko-lon' (Ger. Kii/n; the Colonia Agrippina of the Romans). The largest city of Rhenish Prussia, on the left bank of the Rhine, in latitude 50° 56' N., longitude 6° 5S' E. (Map: Prussia. B 3). Cologne is a fortress of the first rank, its fortifications forming a semicircle, with the Rhine as its chord, and the former town of Deutz (now included in Cologne) on the oppo site bank, as a tete-de-pont. It is connected with this suburb by a bridge of boats and a fine iron bridge 1362 feet in length, for railway and car riage traffic. In the old quarter the streets are narrow and crooked, hut the main residential quarter presents a thoroughly modern aspect.
The Ringstrasse, a stately boulevard four miles long, occupies the site of the ancient walls, dis mantled in 1881-85. A new line of fortifications established beyond the Ringstrasse covers 1000 acres, and has doubled the city's area.
Among the public buildings the churches claim the greatest share of attention, the splendid specimens of the Romanesque period being more numerous than in any other city in the world. The oldest is the Church of Saint Cereon, said to have been founded by the Em press Helena ; the choir, with its two square towers, was added in the eleventh century, and the decagonal nave dates from 1219-27. Saint :Maria im Capitol. consecrated in 1409, is a eru ciform basilica of imposing appearance. The interior is decorated with fine frescoes. The Apostles' Church, a remarkably fine basilica, presents the best specimen of the highly developed style of architecture, in which the ecclesiastical enthusiasm and civic love of splendor found ex pression toward the end of the twelfth century; and the Church of Saint Cunibert, dating from the middle of the thirteenth century, is a promi nent example of the transition style. The Church of Gross Saint Martin was consecrated in 1172; its massive eastern portion has an imposing tow er, 270 feet high. The Jesuits' Church, erected in 1618-29, may be mentioned as an excellent speci men of the mingled style peculiar to that order. The Church of Saint Peter is celebrated for the altar-piece of the crucifixion of Saint Peter by Rubens, and that of the Minorites for containing the tomb of the famous scholastic Duns Scotus.
Saint Ursula is another church of historic inter est. Most of these edifices underwent complete restoration during the nineteenth century.
The chief object of interest in the city, how ever, as well as its greatest ornament, is the cathedral, the noblest specimen of Gothic archi tecture in Europe. It is said to have had its origin in a structure erected at the beginning of the ninth century, by Archbishop Hildebold. This was burned in 1248, and the present cathedral was begun in the same year. The choir. the first part completed. was consecrated in 1322. The work was carried on. sometimes more actively, sometimes more slowly, till the era of the Ref ormation, when it was suspended, and, during the subsequent centuries, not only was nothing done to advance it, but the uncompleted struc ture was suffered to decay. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, attention was at tracted to its unrivaled beauties, and it became the subject of an enthusiasm extending over all Germany, giving birth to a multitude of associa tions for the supply of the necessary funds to re pair and complete it according to the original de signs. Funds were also forthcoming from other parts of Europe. On September 4, 1842, the King of Prussia, who had contributed largely to the funds, laid the foundation stone of the transept, from which time great progress was made. The naves, aisles and transepts were opened in 1843. The magnificent south portal was completed in 1859. and in 1860 the iron central spire was added. With the exception of the towers, the whole was finally completed in October, 1803. The towers were finished in 1880, and on the 15th of October the completion of this grand work was celebrated with great splendor in the presence of Emperor William I. and most of the sovereign princes of the German Empire The cathedral has a length of 443 feet and a width of 200 feet: the height of the roof is 201 feet, that of the central tower over the crossing 357 feet, and of the two main towers 512 feet.