Cologne Bridge Green
The patina-green chromium oxide hue coating Cologne's Rhine bridges, introduced in 1929 at the request of Konrad Adenauer.
Cologne Bridge Green — also known simply as Cologne Green — is a shade of chromium oxide green that distinguishes the paintwork of several Rhine bridges in Cologne.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Paint colour (chromium oxide green) for bridge coatings
- Pigment
- Amorphous chromium(III) oxide (Cr₂O₃), lightfast and weatherproof
- First used
- 1929 on the Mülheim Bridge
- Historically painted
- Five of the eight Cologne Rhine bridges
- Still in original Adenauer Green
- Four bridges (maintained by the city)
- District
- Deutz, inner city borough
- Name
- A reference to its use on Cologne's Rhine bridges
The distinctive green of Cologne's Rhine bridges traces back to a personal request by Mayor Konrad Adenauer, who in 1929 wanted a patina-green color for the new Mülheim Bridge – establishing a shade that became a Cologne trademark, even though architects had lobbied for red on the Zoo Bridge.
Things to do here
- Admire the green-painted Rhine bridges
- Look closely at the characteristic shade of green
- Compare the Mülheimer, Deutzer, Severins and Zoo bridges
- Photograph the bridges against the Cologne skyline
- Spot the colour difference to the Hohenzollern and South bridges
History
In 1929, the colour — manufactured by Bayer AG — was applied for the first time to the newly completed Mülheim Bridge, at the initiative of Cologne's Lord Mayor Konrad Adenauer, who envisioned a patina-green tone. Five of the eight Rhine bridges in Cologne subsequently received this coating, prompting Bayer to market the shade as Cologne Green. Architects' proposals for bolder colours — such as red for the new Zoo Bridge — found no majority support.
Today's Use
Of the original five painted bridges, four still carry the authentic Adenauer Green — those maintained by the City of Cologne: the Mülheim and Deutz Bridges, and the Severins and Zoo Bridges. The Rodenkirchen Rhine Bridge and the Leverkusen Rhine Bridge fall under the maintenance responsibility of the federal Autobahn GmbH. The two railway bridges, the Hohenzollern Bridge and the South Bridge, are owned by DB InfraGO and bear their own distinct colour.
Worth Knowing
Colour samples on test panels are kept in darkness by Cologne's Office for Bridges and Urban Rail Construction; the shade is only freshly mixed when needed. The precise formula is now on record. According to 2012 information, Cologne Bridge Green is produced in the Inorganic Pigments division of the company Lanxess in Krefeld.
Timeline
- 1929First used as coating for the new Mülheimer Brücke
- 2012Manufactured by Lanxess (Inorganic Pigments) in Krefeld
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