Cologne, founded by Germanic tribes and remaining a significant city under both the Roman Empire and medieval Germany, holds special interest from an engraving perspective as it was the production site of the Braun-Hogenberg engraving series. Among the engravings of German cities, Cologne is naturally included, though interestingly, it’s not among the most aesthetically pleasing ones due to its aerial view perspective.
The city is primarily known for its cathedral, which held the title of world’s tallest building from 1880-1884. However, during the time of the engraving’s creation, the Cologne Cathedral was still incomplete, which is clearly visible in the depiction.
The engraving’s accuracy is confirmed by a 19th-century map section and Google Earth, which clearly show how precisely it portrayed reality.
