2022 -The Third of Three Visits -first 1950 second 1964

When my family was in Cologne in 1950, the town was demolished except for the cathedral. My father took photos of the devastation

Rubble for blocks surrounding the cathedral

1950

Cathedral through the RR station roof

When we docked near Cologne, Lesley went to meet her friend that she worked with at Girl Scout camp years ago, and Mike and I went to take the gentle walker tour. We first had to get to the bus which was up on a hill (steps) so we went along the bike/walker path until we came to a ramp, very cobble-stony) up to the street.

The bus leaving the boat

Getting to town

We went past the railroad station which was next to the cathedral

Railroad station

Obelisk of Tutankhamun

Cathedral steeples

When we got to Cologne we split into two groups - we were the gentle walker group and there was another couple with us. We were with gentle walkers because it took some time to get the scooter around obstacles.

Guide by the statue ot Edith Stein who was a German philosopher, fighter for women's rights and a Catholic nun with the name Teresia Benedicta a Cruce. She was of Jewish descent and was murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau on 9 August 1942.

Historic Zeughaus- former city museum

Romulus and Remus fountain on Komödienstrasse, next to Kölnisches Stadtmuseum

Roman ruins

The Taubenbrunnen is a fountain sculpture designed by Ewald Mataré and erected in 1953 in the Altstadt-Nord district of Cologne, situated directly in front of the west side of the Cologne Cathedral, The sculptor Mataré designed the fountain as early as 1950 as a drinking opportunity for the "cathedral pigeons" on the station forecourt

We looked around at the outside of the cathedral. In 1950 the cathedral stood alone - it is quite different around it now. I think we went in the side door and I couldn't get a photo of the side door this time.

Then - right Now-left Shows that outside of the cathedral has been cleaned - I am on the steps at 12 years old with a head scarf and a light colored sweater and saddle shoes

That door has been closed permanently because people were running through from one side door to another to catch the train. Disrupting services and a safety hazard. I not only could not get a photo of that door, but the whole Dom Hotel where we stayed is covered in scaffolding because they are redoing it - the foundation was apparently rotten.

Dom Hotel before WWII

Dom Hotel in 1950

After WWII, there were apparently only three rooms that were undamaged.

Back of the Dom Hotel in 1950

View from the window at the end of the hall

View of the cathedral from our hotel window

Dom hotel next to the cathedral years later

Built up plaza in front of the cathedral

Cathedral steeple

Detail of the cathedral

Side of the cathedral

Next we went to this memorial which is located in a predestined location not far from Cologne Cathedral in front of the traditional Früh brewery. The Cologne sculptors Edmund Renard and his son Heinrich Renard were commissioned by the Kölner Verschönerungsverein to create this memorial square on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the poet August Kopisch. Made of local sandstone and now excellently restored, the fountain tells the story of these invisible helpers from a bygone era.

Elves doing the work so the men of Cologne could sleep

The Taylor's Wife above the working elves

Climbing on a wall

Next we went to another building (I've forgotten the name)

There was a huge parade/demonstration which apparently had something to do with Ukraine and maybe there was another issue too.

Demonstration parade

Lesley got photos of it but I did not. Lesley also went to a famous brewhouse and had some of their beer. Apparently they keep filling you glass until you put a coaster over the top.

Sion beer

I showed the guide my photos and he was apparently under the impression that I had the originals. At the end of the tour, I gave him the prints - these and others.

Bridge in Cologne

Detail of the cathedral doorway in 1950

Looking back at the cathedral from the boat

Ruins in Cologne

Ruins and rubble

Odd building - a block from our hotel

Black market region in Koln

The tour lasted about 2 hours and that is about my limit so the guide let us off to go in the cathedral, which we did,

Statues around the door in 2022

Cathedral

Stained glass window

Stained glass windows

Cathedral ceiling

Golden altar

Then Mike got us a taxi back to the ship

From the taxi on the way back to the boat

. The taxi drove down the ramp to the walking path so all we had to do was get on the boat.

Road by the river

For dinner I had

Beef carpacio and Cream of parsnip soup

(which was good). Lesley had the Beef carpachio and

Salad at dinner

and

Wiener schnitzel

Dessert was good but I forgot to take a photo of the menu so I don't remember what it was.

Dessert

Riverside at night

Boat at night

I had hoped to be able to match the photos up with the present day town. I had been able to do this with my photos in 1964 and the ones I took in 2019. Unfortunately the photos from 1964 have been lost and the photos from 1950 are really different because the town has been rebuilt. But I have made an effort to match up parts of the cathedral although the angles are a little different because I could not get far enough away from the cathedral to take the same view - buildings have been built where my father stood to take his photos. The photos taken in 2022 are on the left.

Old railroad station ceiling on the right

Looking down the street to the cathedral-1950 on the right

Cathedral on the right with nothing around it in 1950

Side entrance and spire on right in full view in 1950 - on left buildings crowding in

Spire of church from two perspectives-restricted view in 2022 on the left

Front of the cathedral - right from the Dom hotel in 1950

The boat has started down the Rhine toward the Rhine river gorge and the castles. I'm hoping that I will have more success matching the castles that we saw on the cruise we took in 1950. I know that we started and ended in Cologne, but I'm not sure which direction we went.

Tomorrow is Sunday and they go back to standard time. .