Editing Cologne (section)

===Roman Cologne===
[[File:Wall painting with Dionysian scenes from a luxurious Roman villa excavated to the south of the cathedral, Romisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne (8119154487).jpg|thumb|Fresco with [[Dionysian Mysteries|Dionysian scenes]] from a Roman villa of Cologne, Germany (site of the ancient city Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium), 3rd century CE, [[Romano-Germanic Museum]]]]

The first urban settlement on the grounds of modern-day Cologne was ''Oppidum Ubiorum'', founded in 38&nbsp;BCE by the [[Ubii]], a [[Germani cisrhenani|Cisrhenian]] [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribe]]. In 50&nbsp;CE, the Romans founded [[Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium]] (Cologne) on the river Rhine,<ref name="Cologne History"/><ref name="Facts and figures"/> a [[Colonia (Roman)|colonia]] which was named after Emperor [[Claudius]] and his wife, who was born here, [[Agrippina the Younger]]. In 85&nbsp;CE the city became the provincial capital of [[Germania Inferior]].<ref name="Facts and figures">{{cite web|title=Facts and figures|url=https://www.cologne.de/facts-and-figures.html|publisher=City of Cologne|access-date=3 May 2019|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503194348/https://www.cologne.de/facts-and-figures.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also known as {{lang|la|Augusta Ubiorum}}.<ref>{{cite book |first=Benjamin E. |last=Smith |contribution=Augusta Ubiorum |title=The Century Cyclopedia of Names |location=New York |publisher=Century Co. |year=1895 |volume=1 |edition=2nd |oclc=237135281 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RXZFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA96 |page=96 }}</ref> Considerable Roman remains can be found in present-day Cologne, especially near the wharf area, where a 1,900-year-old Roman boat was discovered in late 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18208 |title=C.Michael Hogan, ''Cologne Wharf'', The Megalithic Portal, editor Andy Burnham, 2007 |publisher=Megalithic.co.uk |access-date=24 July 2009 |archive-date=21 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921060011/http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18208 |url-status=live }}</ref> From 260 to 271, Cologne was the capital of the [[Gallic Empire]] under [[Postumus]], [[Marcus Aurelius Marius|Marius]], and [[Victorinus]]. In 310, under emperor [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine I]], a bridge was built over the Rhine at Cologne. Roman imperial governors resided in the city and it became one of the most important trade and production centers in the Roman Empire north of the Alps.<ref name="Cologne History"/> Cologne is shown on the 4th century [[Peutinger Map]].

Maternus, who was elected as bishop in 313, was the first known bishop of Cologne. The city was the capital of a Roman province until it was occupied by the [[Ripuarian Franks]] in 462. Parts of the original Roman sewers are preserved underneath the city, with the [[Cologne sewerage system|new sewerage system]] having opened in 1890.

After the destruction of the [[Second Temple]] in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)|Siege of Jerusalem]] and the associated [[Jewish diaspora|dispersion (diaspora) of the Jews]], there is evidence of a Jewish community in Cologne. In 321 CE, Emperor Constantine approved the settlement of a Jewish community with all the freedoms of Roman citizens. It is assumed that it was located near the Marspforte within the city wall. The Edict of Constantine to the Jews is the oldest documented evidence in Germany.<ref>Werner Eck: Köln in römischer Zeit. Geschichte einer Stadt im Rahmen des Imperium Romanum. (= Geschichte der Stadt Köln in 13 Bänden, Bd. 1) Köln 2004, p. 325 ff. {{ISBN|3-7743-0357-6}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=German Jewish culture through the ages – DW – 02/19/2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/celebrating-1700-years-of-jewish-life-in-germany/a-56131698 |access-date=2 August 2023 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>