Cologne as the centre in the West

In the years subsequent to 1933 Cologne also strengthened its role as a Rhineland metropolis. Conservative and National Socialist ideas converged in the emphasis of history, landscape and folklore as the basis of ‘völkisch’ (nationalist) life.

As a consequence of the occupation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936, the military and political focus of the Reich shifted towards the West and the initial apprehension among the citizens of Cologne dissipated, being replaced by enthusiastic jubilation.

The construction of the Autobahn – the connection between Cologne and Düsseldorf was opened for the public in 1936, including Siegburg in 1937 –, the expansion of the Butzweilerhof airport as well as increased railway traffic intensified Cologne’s role as a traffic hub in the West.

In the autumn of 1935, Cologne was awarded the title of ‘Hanseatic City’, thus reconnecting to the medieval importance of the metropolis on the Rhine and providing a framework for its international significance in Western Europe at the same time. In the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937, in addition to the official pavilion, Germany was represented by the ‘Cologne House’, the only pavilion of a German city.

On maps that were part of a gift of the town on the occasion of Hitler’s 50th birthday on 20 April 1939, Cologne’s claim on being the ‘gate to the west’ was depicted literally with lines reaching into Western Europe. Especially after the beginning of the war, numerous activities shifted towards Belgium and the Netherlands from 1940 on, where Gau leader Grohé was appointed Commissioner of the Reich for Belgium and Northern France at short notice in 1944.

Cologne Exhibition City

After 1933, Cologne sought to reconnect to the great tradition of the trade fair from the twenties, the millennium exhibition in 1925 and the Pressa exhibition in 1928. Naturally, apart from spring and autumn trade fairs, the activities at the trade fair were mainly characterised by political exhibitions. Already in summer 1933, the exhibition ‘Gesunde Frau – Gesundes Volk’ (healthy woman – healthy people) was opened. It was followed by the ‘Braune Messe – Deutsche Woche’ exhibition (brown exhibition – brown week) in the summer of 1934, the ‘Deutsche Saar’ Exhibition in August and September 1934 and then the ‘Deutsche Kolonialausstellung’ (‘German Colonial Exhibition’) in August. The Reich exhibition ‘Seefahrt ist not!’ (exhibition about the German seafaring traditions) in the Rheinische Heimat House.

In this context, the design of the International Transport Exhibition as a transport world exhibition, which was projected for 1940, was particularly important. For this purpose, extensive planning activities concerning an expansion and redesign of the trade fair premises were started. However, in the face of the outbreak of war, these activities had to be suspended.

In the spring of 1940, the traditional trade fair activities were initially resumed, covering also the trade fair buildings in 1941; Cologne aspired to become a trade fair hub in Western Europe. After the spring exhibition in 1942, trade fair activities were suspended for the rest of the war.

Urban development and planning

Within the scope of economic recovery, residential construction activities also slowly started to pick up again. Public construction projects were rarely implemented. Only social housing projects that had started before 1933 were resumed and complemented by individual plans, but drastically decreased in total. Apart from the continued implementation of the design concept for the new university buildings, the only significant civil works that took place were the construction of the market hall in Bayenthal and the ice skating stadium on Lentstraße. Additionally, a few elementary schools and some Hitler Youth club houses were built. As regards public construction projects, the focus was on barracks and air raid shelters as well as transport facilities such as the motorway bridge in Rodenkirchen and the new buildings on Butzweilerhof. In terms of urban development, one considerable project was the refurbishment of the Martinsviertel, based on previous examinations and designs. The medieval character of this neighbourhood should be emphasised.

However, the one main new element was the politically motivated urban planning project for the ‘Gau capital’. Like other cities, Grohé successfully applied for Cologne to be incorporated into the group of Hitler’s ‘New Design Cities’ that received official funds to rebuild the towns in a National Socialist sense. The core elements of the designs for Cologne were an eastwest axis on the left side of the Rhine as well as a northsouth axis and a giant Gau forum with Party buildings and an enormous parade ground as well as a new main station on the right side of the Rhine. Hitler himself was an enthusiastic observer of these plans, which would virtually have marginalized the traditional, medieval flair of Cologne with its cathedral.

Cultural policy

Cultural policies initially aimed at obliterating progressive arts and Jewish artists. In 1937, even the Wallraf-Richartz Museum hosted campaigns against ‘degenerate art’.

As the National Socialists lacked their own, specific approach to art, classical educational concepts and conservative, landscape-focused art dominated. A historical and cultural museum was opened in 1936, the ‘Haus der Rheinischen Heimat’ was equipped with exhibits from the millennium exhibition from 1925 that were already available.

Apart from the continuation of the bourgeois educational theatre, new theatrical forms with heroic and nationalistic content were developed, such as the play ‘Job der Deutsche’ (Job the German) by Kurt Eggers and Werner Egk, which premiered in 1933 on the premises of the trade fair. However, on principle, there was no room for individual artistic development due to the overwhelming importance of political messages. Works by Jewish artists were systematically removed from the programmes.

Everyday life

For many people, life after 1933 continued much like it was before: Family, job, free time. However, this continuation of daily routine fails to conceal the underlying reality that National Socialism, the political indoctrination of the population and the militarisation of society was becoming more and more part of everyday life.

Part of this everyday life was represented by sports. Cologne was a stronghold especially with regards to cycling and boxing. Two gold medal winners from the Berlin Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 were from Cologne – Merkens for cycling and Landen and Wevers in kayak.

The Carnival did not remain free of political influences. In 1935, it was still possible to fight off the National Socialists’ attempt to abolish the Carnival’s organisational independence. Instead, political surveillance was stepped up to a degree that a critical sense of humour was made practically impossible. Also the Carnival parades were characterised by content adapted to conform to the regime – Jews were discriminated against. In 1938, the ‘Virgin’ in the traditional representative trio of Prince, Farmer and Virgin (normally a man dressed as a woman) had to be a woman, an expression of the homophobic attitude of the National Socialists.