Shopping on a Splendid Scale
On one hand, it offers a shopping experience that has the character of an event: in its abundance, the cacophony of consumption and the communicative hum of the streams of passersby, as well as the sheer, overwhelming profusion of goods available on a single street. On the other hand, Hohe Straße daily reflects the microcosm of urban dynamics in Cologne.
Between subway stations and historic facades, the shopping mile, nestled between the Cathedral and Schildergasse, embodies a unique symbiosis of history and the present. With a retail space reaching impressive dimensions, it mirrors the evolution and development of retail. Once lined with small specialty shops, it is now dominated by high-revenue chains, making the street a hotspot for fashion-conscious and brand-savvy visitors.
Here, people constantly stream in wide paths, and every outdoor café finds charming side streets to retreat into. Put simply: if you want to celebrate an unforgettable shopping experience right in the heart of Cologne, Hohe Straße is your destination of choice.
Couples, Passersby, Passengers: The Image of Hohe Straße
Hohe Straße is considered one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. The impressive density and variety of shopping opportunities—from large department stores to specialized bookstores and jewelers, close together—also contend with the changing shopping and consumption habits of a digital society. Thus, the popular avenue is continually in a state of flux: Shops close, new tenants move in. Certain offerings dominate, while others relocate.
Hohe Straße: History from Roman Times
Even in Roman times, Hohe Straße was a lifeline of ancient Cologne, known as the Cardo maximus. Roman legionaries, merchants, and citizens traveled along this main street, which even then formed the urban heart of Roman Cologne.
The Cardo maximus, which in Latin means 'main hinge' or 'great axis,' stretched in a north-south direction and, alongside the Decumanus maximus—the present-day Schildergasse in east-west alignment—comprised the pulsating center of Roman life. At their intersection lay the Forum, the marketplace and social center, where daily life unfolded in all its diversity.
Hohe Straße: Modern History
Before the war, the cityscape of downtown Cologne was still heavily influenced by medieval structures. Hohe Straße, characterized by its narrow width of only eight meters and lined with narrow, four-story houses that abutted imposing historicist corner buildings, was unique in its structure.
In the 20th century, Hohe Straße in Cologne experienced a dramatic transformation. The intense bombing during World War II, particularly the devastating attacks on May 30/31, 1942, and March 2, 1945, turned the street into rubble. Almost 90% of the buildings were destroyed.
Despite the destruction, Cologne chose to retain the original city layout during the reconstruction— a decision that set it apart from other war-ravaged cities. Some buildings also survived the bombings, including the Baroque House No. 111, the residential and commercial building "an den vier Winden," and parts of the Tietz department store, now the Galeria Kaufhof.
The reconstruction of Hohe Straße began in 1948, characterized by modern functional buildings. The shoe store "Peter Voossen," the first business to reopen after the war in 1947, survives to this day, albeit in a different location.
The 1950s: Now a Pedestrian Zone
In December 1948, the first Christmas lights illuminated Hohe Straße, and by 1950 there were concerns that it might lose its international character and become an "oriental flea market." Despite these worries, the street remained a thriving business center.
In 1954, the Adolf Frank department store opened, later taken over by the Merkur department store, known for its aluminum-glass grid facade designed by Egon Eiermann. Between 1948 and 1980, "Campi's Eis-Diele" ice cream parlor, owned by jazz producer Gigi Campi, became a meeting place for international celebrities and the local cultural scene.
One of the First Pedestrian Zones in Germany
A milestone in the history of Hohe Straße was the introduction of the pedestrian zone in 1967, one of the first in Germany. This innovation significantly enhanced the street's appeal, making it a preferred destination for shoppers and visitors. Over the decades, Hohe Straße has continually evolved and remains a central hub in Cologne's dynamic landscape.
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