Sicherheitshafen
Napoleon's flood-refuge harbour north of Cologne's old town: opened 1813, filled in 1895/96 – its site is now Ebertplatz and Theodor-Heuss-Ring.
The harbour was a response to the ice flood of February 1784, when the Rhine at Cologne reached 13.84 metres by today's gauge, the highest level ever recorded.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- former safe harbour protecting against floods and providing winter moorings for Rhine vessels
- Other names
- Thürmchenshafen, Franzosenhafen, Napoleonhafen, Port de l’Empereur
- Location
- north of Cologne's old town at Rhine kilometre 689.4; today in Neustadt-Nord, Innenstadt district
- Size
- about 500 m long, 50 m wide on average
- Construction
- begun May 1811, opened 1813, fully completed 1840
- Planned capacity
- 50 larger and 140 smaller ships
- End
- filled in 1895/96
Cologne's Sicherheitshafen was planned as protection against the ice flood of 1784, which brought the highest Rhine water level ever recorded, but it only opened in 1813 and, due to little use, lasted only about 80 years before being filled in during 1895/96 – today Ebertplatz and Theodor-Heuss-Ring lie on its site.
From Flood to Harbour Project
The 1784 ice flood destroyed numerous buildings, harbour installations and Cologne's entire fleet of ships. 65 people died. Cologne merchants and boatmen then demanded a protected harbour, and first plans were drawn up in 1786. They were only realised under French occupation, prompted by a promise Napoleon made in 1804. Winter or safe harbours were also built under French rule in other cities, such as Düsseldorf and Mainz.
Construction under Napoleon
After lengthy negotiations between the city, the Chamber of Commerce and the French authorities, Napoleon approved the project on 6 January 1811. The city was to bear the construction costs of 750,000 francs itself and in return was allowed to keep the harbour dues paid by boatmen. The basin was created by deepening the existing moat in front of the city wall. The foundation stone was laid on 10 November 1812 with a banquet, a public festival and fireworks. After the French withdrew in January 1814, further work initially came to a halt.
Layout and Entrance
The deep basin was surrounded by steep slopes, with a towpath and promenades running around it. The 8.50 m wide entrance could be closed with a flood barrier and was guarded by a caponier, later known as the Bastei. From 1839, the railway line from Müngersdorf to the city centre crossed the entrance on a bascule bridge, which was replaced by a swing bridge by 1869. The name Thürmchenshafen comes from the nearby Kunibertstürmchen on the riverbank, also known as Weckschnapp.
What Became of the Harbour
When it opened, the harbour was only partly finished and had room for about 70 ships rather than 190. The basin was also not deep enough and silted up quickly. Because it saw little use, the harbour lasted only about 80 years. During the development of Neustadt-Nord, the site was turned into a park, with the “Deutscher Platz” and the “Deutscher Ring”. Today these are called Ebertplatz and Theodor-Heuss-Ring.
Timeline
- 1784Devastating ice flood; highest Rhine water level recorded in Cologne on 28 February
- 1786First plans for a protective harbour
- 1804Napoleon's promise initiates the harbour construction
- 1811Napoleon approves construction (6 January); building starts in May
- 1812Foundation stone laid on 10 November
- 1813Harbour opened; first used in winter 1813/14
- 1840Harbour fully completed
- 1895/96Harbour filled in and converted into a park
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-09-28
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