Römerpark
A heritage-listed city park in Neustadt-Süd, established in 1898 – once the "front garden" of the business college and the first seat of the University of Cologne.
since 1898
The Römerpark is a city park in Cologne's Neustadt-Süd, established in 1898. It lies in a hollow between Titusstraße, Trajanstraße and Claudiusstraße and has been a listed monument since 1980.
At a Glance
- Type
- heritage-listed landscape park
- Location
- Neustadt-Süd, in a hollow between Titus-, Trajan- and Claudiusstraße
- Size
- about 20,320 square metres
- Created
- 1898 by garden director Adolf Kowallek
- Monument protection
- since 1980
- Nearby
- the Friedenspark adjoins to the south
It was on a park bench in the Römerpark in 1984 that Wolfgang Niedecken conceived the song "Alexandra, nit nur Do" – found on the BAP album "Zwesche Salzjebäck un Bier".
Things to do here
- Walk the historic axis through the landscape park
- Explore the heritage-listed park from 1898
- Pause at the Stolperstein memorial stone at the park entrance
Area comparison
Area compared with other Cologne parks and green spaces.
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
Origins
Until 1898 the Werthchen river island served Cologne as a recreation area, but it had to make way for the construction of the Rheinauhafen. As a replacement, garden director Adolf Kowallek planned, from 1895, a landscape-style park on a triangular plot of about 20,320 square metres near the riverbank. Densely planted, it offered visitors changing views into an artificially composed landscape on a circular walk; the lawns were off limits.
College and University
In 1907 the new building of the Cologne business college (Handelshochschule) opened at the Römerpark, Claudiusstraße 1; the park now served as its "front garden" and approach. In 1919 the first seat of the newly founded University of Cologne moved in here. In 1912 garden director Fritz Encke adapted the park carefully to the building: instead of a grand redesign he laid out a simple axis with modest means and linked it to the neo-Baroque façade via a balustrade of shell limestone.
Remembrance
During the Nazi era the park was also the scene of dark events: in 1933 books were burned in front of the university building; a Stolperstein memorial stone at the park entrance today commemorates eight-year-old Hans Abraham Ochs, beaten to death by members of the Hitler Youth in 1936.
Timeline
- 1898Park opened as a replacement for the Werthchen river island lost to the Rheinauhafen
- 1907The new building of the Handelshochschule opens at the Römerpark
- 1919First seat of the newly founded University of Cologne on Claudiusstraße
- 1980The Römerpark is placed under monument protection
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Hours
So: 00:00–24:00
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-17)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-07-01)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-07-01, rev 203313222)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-01
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