We will talk this episode about a small but significant minority in medieval Cologne of the late 11th/ early 12th century. The Jewish community of Cologne.

This episode I would like to take a more general look at this turbulent time, the second half of the 11th century. Which developments shaped this time, medieval Germany and to what extent they affected Anno and also the city of Cologne. 
But all that would be far too complex for me. 
So I'm glad that Dirk from the "History of the Germans" podcast was kind enough to stop by for this episode. 
In our little chat we start off by talking about our motivation why we started our podcasts and then go straight into the action, the 2nd half of the 11th century.

The Archbishop of Cologne Anno II (1056-1075) was chased out of the city by an angry mob after incurring the wrath of the merchant class. In neighboring Neuss, the prince of the church and the empire ponders revenge and gathers a large army to return to Cologne.

In 1074, the people of Cologne rose up in revolt against the city's ruler and archbishop, Anno II. What happened in these April days in the city has written city history that you should not miss.

Why did Anno II gouge out the eyes of all his jurymen in Cologne, according to legend? In the second half of the 11th century, Anno II ruled over the city of Cologne. With a lively building activity in the city, he is immortalized in the cityscape to this day. Also art, culture and trade prospered under his rule. And the veneration of St. George gave Anno unprecedented greatness here on the Rhine.

A man from the lower nobility of southern Germany becomes Archbishop of Cologne, crushes the power of the Ezzones in the Rhineland and kidnaps the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire: Anno II. is a man that is truly not forgotten in Cologne to this day.

The noble family of the Ezzones was at the height of power in the 11th century. The namesake and Count Palatine of Lorraine named Ezzo had already attained an almost ducal position on the Rhine around the year 1000. How had he managed this? It was, as so often in life, the circumstance of having the right connections and the right nose. Ezzo had successfully married into the then still existing Ottonian imperial dynasty. He then used his proximity to the ruling family to successively expand his power in all parts of the Rhineland.

It's vacation time, hopefully for you too or that you get some time to rest. Have you ever asked yourself why some perfume is called Cologne in the English language? Well, you don't have to wait anymore. Just take a listen.

Cologne in the 11th century: We look around a bit in the area of Cologne Cathedral, where the Archbishop's palace is located, the monastery monastery and on the square itself, where court hearings took place.

Heribert is also one of the most important medieval archbishops in the history of Cologne and here you can find out why this 11th century imperial prince is so significant for Cologne's development