Cologne Bridge Green
The distinctive green of Cologne’s Rhine bridges goes back to Konrad Adenauer – a particularly weatherproof chromium-oxide paint, first used in 1929 on the Mülheim Bridge.
Four of Cologne’s major Rhine bridges share the same unmistakable shade of green – the „Cologne Bridge Green“, which dates back to the later German chancellor Konrad Adenauer.
At a Glance
- What
- the uniform green of Cologne’s Rhine bridges
- Basis
- chromium oxide green (chromium(III) oxide), especially light- and weather-resistant
- Introduced
- 1929 at the request of mayor Konrad Adenauer
- First used
- on the new Mülheim Bridge
- Today’s „Adenauer green“
- Mülheim, Deutz, Severin and Zoo bridges
- Manufacturer
- originally Bayer AG, today Lanxess (Krefeld)
Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-25
History
Konrad Adenauer, then mayor of Cologne, wanted a patina-like green for the Rhine bridges. In 1929 the paint made by Bayer AG was first used on the new Mülheim Bridge. Originally five of Cologne’s eight Rhine bridges received this coating; architects with different colour preferences – such as red for the Zoo Bridge – did not prevail.
The Paint
The bridge green is based on chromium oxide green and is considered especially light- and weatherproof. The exact recipe is known: colour samples are stored in the dark and remixed when needed so the shade stays consistent across the decades. The paint is produced today by Lanxess in Krefeld.
Today
Four bridges maintained by the city are coated in the original Adenauer green: the Mülheim, Deutz, Severin and Zoo bridges. This uniform green still shapes the look of Cologne’s riverfront.
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