The Cologne Ring (known in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

as: ''Kölner Ringe'') is a semi-circular, some 6 km long

urban boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...

Innenstadt, Cologne Innenstadt () is the central borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of the City of Cologne in Germany. The borough was established with the last communal land reform in 1975, and comprises Cologne's historic old town (Altstadt), the Gründerzeit era new ...

and the city's busiest and most prominent street system. The Cologne Ring is a four lane street and part of

Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...

9. The ring road encircles the old town of Cologne on its southern, western and northern boundaries on the site of the former mediaeval city wall. It divides Innenstadt into old town (''Altstadt'') east of it and new town (''Neustadt'') west of it. Most of the city wall has been worked away during the 1880s and only few sections of the wall exist today at Hansaring and Sachsenring. Of the once twelve mediaeval city gates, only the Eigelsteintorburg at Ebertplatz, the Hahnentor at Rudolfplatz and the Severinstorburg at Chlodwigplatz still stand today.

Sections

The Cologne Ring is a composition of several roads and squares, for which it is known in German in the plural form (''Ringe''). The sections are named after people and personalities of the

history of Cologne The German city of Cologne was founded in the 1st century as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. It was taken by the Franks in the 5th century and became an important city of Medieval Germany, the seat of an Archbishop and a Prince-El ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The following is a list of these sections, clockwise from south to north:

Ubierring

The Ubierring is the southern end of the Cologne Ring and is named after the

Ubii 350px, The Ubii around AD 30 The Ubii were a Germanic tribe first encountered dwelling on the east bank of the Rhine in the time of Julius Caesar, who formed an alliance with them in 55 BC in order to launch attacks across the river. They were ...

, a

Germanic tribe This list of ancient Germanic peoples is an inventory of ancient Germanic cultures, tribal groupings and other alliances of Germanic tribes and civilisations in ancient times. The information comes from various ancient historical documents, beginn ...

and first inhabitants of the new founded Roman city of CCAA. Ubierring is some 400 metres long and joins with Agrippinaufer (a river embankment road along the redeveloped

Rheinauhafen The Rheinauhafen (lit. ''Rheinau harbour'') is a urban regeneration project in Cologne, Germany, located along the river Rhine between the Südbrücke (Southern Railway Bridge) and Severinsbrücke (Severin Bridge), just south of the inner city's ...

, which leads into

Bayenthal Bayenthal (german: Köln-Bayenthal) is a neighbourhood of Cologne, Germany and part of the district of Rodenkirchen. Bayenthal lies on the left bank of the river Rhine, between the district of Innenstadt to the North and Marienburg neighbourhood ...

and

Rodenkirchen Rodenkirchen () is a southern borough (''Stadtbezirk'') of Cologne (Köln) in Germany. It has about 110,000 inhabitants and covers an area of . The borough includes the quarters Bayenthal, Godorf, Hahnwald, Immendorf, Marienburg, Meschenich, Rad ...

) to the east and Chlodwigplatz to the west. *

Köln International School of Design The Köln International School of Design (in short: KISD) is an institution of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (''Technische Hochschule Köln'' or ''TH Köln'') and offers an interdisciplinary study program in the field of design. In 1 ...

Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum The Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum is a museum of ethnography in Cologne, Germany. It was reopened in 2010. The museum arose from a collection of over 3500 items belonging to ethnographer Wilhelm Joest. After his death in 1897, the collection was le ...

Chlodwigplatz

The Chlodwigsplatz is a centre of the Severinsviertel, a busy traffic roundabout and a 5-way intersection of Ubierring from the east, Karolingerring from the north-west, Severinstraße from the north and Merowinger and Bonner Straße from the south. Chlodwigplatz is named after

Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single kin ...

(German: ''Chlodwig I.'') (c. 466 - 511),

King of the Franks The Franks, Germanic-speaking peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dukes and reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Merovingians, who con ...

from the

Merovingian dynasty The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

. * Severinstorburg

Karolingerring

The Karolingerring is a short, 200-metre-long portion of the Cologne Ring, and only 30 metres in width, one of its narrowest sections. The Karolingerring is named after the Frankish

Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...

Sachsenring

The Sachsenring is—in contrast to the preceding Karolingerring—a wide landscaped Avenue, with a central lawn and several lines of trees. The Sachsenring is named after the

Ottonian dynasty The Ottonian dynasty (german: Ottonen) was a Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman Emperors named Otto, especially its first Emperor Otto I. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the ...

(919-1024), also known as ''Saxon dynasty''. This 800-metre-long section of the ring road is bounded by mostly free-standing, modern office blocks, as well as the early 13th century '' Ulrepforte''. *

Cologne Business School The CBS International Business School (CBS) is a state-recognised, private business school which emerged in 2020 from the individual brands Cologne Business School (CBS) and European Management School (EMS). At its locations in Cologne, Mainz, ...

* Humboldt-Gymnasium * Institut Français

Salierring

The Salierring is some 400 metres long and forms a transition between the landscaped Sachsenring and the urban Barbarossaplatz. It is named after the

Salian dynasty The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty (german: Salier) was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the la ...

(1024–1125).

Barbarossaplatz

As several roads and tram lines meet at Barbarossaplatz , the square is an important hub for private and public

transportation in Cologne This article covers transportation in and around the city of Cologne, Germany. Road transport Ring roads The city of Cologne possesses one of the most comprehensive urban ring road systems. The beltways were laid out during the end of the ...

. The Cologne Ring running north–south,

Luxemburger Straße Luxembourgers ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerger ) are a Germanic ethnic group and nation native to their nation state of Luxembourg, where they make up around half of the population. They share the culture of Luxembourg and speak Luxembourgish. Luxembour ...

, leading into

Sülz Sülz (; ) is a municipal part of Cologne, Germany and part of the district of Lindenthal. Sülz lies on Luxemburger Straße between Lindenthal and Klettenberg. Sülz has 35.475 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2008) and covers an area of 5,17& ...

and Klettenberg, and Roonstraße leading onto Rathenauplatz.

Cologne Stadtbahn The Cologne Stadtbahn is a light rail system in the German city of Cologne, including several surrounding cities of the Cologne Bonn Region ( Bergisch Gladbach, Bonn, Bornheim, Brühl, Frechen, Hürth, Leverkusen-Schlebusch, Wesseling). T ...

has stations on Barbarossaplatz for tram lines 12, 15, 16 and 18. The square is named after

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Frederick I Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt o ...

(1122–1190) and was originally laid out as an oval space with two circular traffic islands. Today, the spatial experience is largely overshadowed by a dominant, longitudinal tram station, which occupies most of the square. The square is one of the most discussed urban spaces in Cologne for re-development.

Hohenstaufenring

North of Barbarossaplatz, the character of the Cologne Ring changes drastically, as all ground floors are occupied by shops, galleries and/or department stores and nearly all upper floors are being used as offices. Also, the trees are older and taller, which give the Ring a more cosmopolitan character. The Hohenstaufenring extends some 600 metres up to Schaafenstraße (where it turns unnoticeably into Habsburgerring). Halfway along its course, Hohenstaufenring passes the Sacred Heart Church (''Herz-Jesu-Kirche'') on Zülpicher Platz, the latter also serves as a tram station. Hohenstaufenring is named after the

Hohenstaufen dynasty The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...

, a dynasty of German kings lasting from 1138 to 1254. * Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln * Hotel Esplanade

Habsburgerring

With only 180 metres' length, the Habsburgerring is the shortest section of the Ring. It is named after the

Habsburg dynasty The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

. The Barceló Cologne Hotel stands on the site of the former Opernhaus (1904–1944), destroyed during the

bombing of Cologne in World War II The German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids Rudolfplatz is the centre of Belgisches Viertel and one of the liveliest squares of Cologne. It is an important hub for private and public

, as several roads and tram lines meet at Rudolfplatz. The Cologne Ring running north–south, Aachener Straße – the principal east–west arterial road which leads through Lindenthal district to the western extreme of the

Cologne Beltway The Cologne Beltway (German:''Kölner Autobahnring'') is the collective term for the Autobahns encircling Cologne. It consists of the Bundesautobahn 1, the Bundesautobahn 3 and the Bundesautobahn 4. Segments of the beltway handle the highest t ...

– and Hahnenstraße (which leads via the Neumarkt on to the Deutzer Brücke).

has stations on Rudolfplatz for tram lines 1, 7, 12 and 15. The square is named after

Rudolph I of Germany Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death. Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which h ...

(1218–1291). * Hahnentorburg * Theater am Rudolfplatz

Hohenzollernring

The Hohenzollernring is the main

entertainment district An entertainment district is a type of arts district with a high concentration of movie theaters, theatres or other entertainment venues. Such areas may be officially designated by local governments with functional zoning regulations, as well as ...

of Cologne, with numerous restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, discothèques and night clubs along its course and in the adjacent side streets. Since the 1990s, competing gangs of

bouncers A bouncer (also known as a doorman or door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, stripclubs, casinos, hotels, billiard halls, restaurants, sporting events, schools, concerts, ...

have fought over control of the nightclubs here, extorting money from the clubs and befriending girls for exploitation as prostitutes. The Hohenzollernring is lined with tall trees and is about 700 metres long. About halfway, Hohenzollernring passes Friesenplatz, centre of the Friesenviertel, and a major U-Bahn station. At Friesenplatz, the Venloer Straße leads into Ehrenfeld. The Hohenzollernring is named after the

Hohenzollern dynasty The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenb ...

. *

Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Taschen Comics, pu ...

building * Gerling Ring-Karree

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring

The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring is an urban

esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

, some 360 metres long, with a landscaped central part and a large fountain. Nevertheless, it has a mainly commercial character. On the northern end lies the Christophstraße/

Mediapark The MediaPark is an urban regeneration neighborhood in Cologne, Germany, completed by the turn of the millennium. It was set up to accommodate companies of the media and communication industry, as well as cultural institutions, a hotel and some a ...

U-Bahn station. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring is named after

Wilhelm I of Germany William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...

(1797–1888).

Hansaring

At a length of 1,100 metres, the Hansaring is one of the longest sections of the Cologne Ring. Commercial activity decreases noticeably compared to Hohenzollernring, and only gradually increases towards Ebertplatz and the neighboring Eigelsteinviertel. The name of the Hansaring pays tribute to Cologne's history as a

Hanseatic city The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German t ...

from the 13th to 17th century. Among the landmarks on Hansaring are the building of the former Cologne Graduate School of Management (Handelshochschule), erected on Hansaring in 1901; since 1907 the building has been home to the Hansa-Gymnasium. In 1925, Cologne's first skyscraper, the Hansahochhaus, was built opposite the Gymnasium.

Ebertplatz

The Ebertplatz is named after

Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the first President of Germany (1919–1945), president of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925. Eber ...

(1871–1925), first

President of Germany The president of Germany, officially the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: link=no, Bundespräsident der Bundesrepublik Deutschland),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international corres ...

in the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

, though the square was originally named Deutscher Platz. The square is actually a spatial continuation of the larger Theodor-Heuss-Ring. On the western end, Hansaring opens onto Ebertplatz, the eastern end bleeds into the park-like Theodor-Heuss-Ring. On the northern edge of the square, Riehler and Neusser Straße lead into Agnesviertel and

Nippes Nippes ( French) or Nip ( Haitian Creole) is one of the ten departments (the highest-level political subdivisions) of Haiti located in southern Haiti. It is the most recently created department, having been split from Grand'Anse in 2003. The ...

. Ebertplatz U-Bahn station is a large interchange station four

lines and the city's largest subway station. * Eigelsteintorburg

Theodor-Heuss-Ring

Theodor-Heuss-Ring is a 500 metre long by 100 metre wide park, locked between Ebertplatz and the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

shore at Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer. The park is a preferred residential area, with some corporate headquarters and offices. While the block South of the park is a densely built up area and border of the subsequent Kunibertsviertel, the block North of the park mainly consists of free standing buildings. Among the buildings on the northern side are the ''Ringturm'' skyscraper and the art nouveau ''Villa Bestgen''.

References

External links

Kölner Ringe interest group
{{Commons category, Kölner Ringe ! Ring roads in Germany Tourist attractions in Cologne Innenstadt, Cologne