Editing History of Cologne (section)

=== Postwar Cologne ===
Although Cologne was larger than its neighbors, [[Düsseldorf]] was chosen as the political capital of the newly established [[States of Germany|Federal State]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], and Bonn as the (provisional) capital of the Federal Republic. Cologne benefited from being sandwiched between the two important political centers of [[West Germany]] by becoming home to a large number of federal agencies and organizations. After reunification in 1990, a new situation has been politically co-ordinated{{Clarify|date=November 2013}} with the new federal capital, [[Berlin]].

In 1945 architect and urban planner [[Rudolf Schwarz (architect)|Rudolf Schwarz]] called Cologne the "world's greatest heap of debris". Schwarz designed the 1947 reconstruction master plan, which called for the construction of several new thoroughfares through the downtown area, especially the ''Nord-Süd-Fahrt'' (North-South-Drive). The plan took into consideration that even shortly after the war a large increase in automobile traffic could be anticipated. Plans for new roads had already evolved to some extent under the Nazi administration, but construction became easier now that the majority of downtown lots were undeveloped. The destruction of the famous [[Twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne|twelve Romanesque churches]], including [[St. Gereon's Basilica]], [[Great St. Martin Church|Great St. Martin]], [[St. Maria im Kapitol]] and about a dozen others during World War II, meant a tremendous loss of cultural substance to the city. The rebuilding of these churches and other landmarks like the [[Gürzenich]] was not undisputed among leading architects and art historians at that time, but in most cases, civil intention{{Clarify|date=November 2013}} prevailed. The reconstruction lasted until the 1990s, when the Romanesque church of [[St. Kunibert (Cologne)|St. Kunibert]] was finished.

It took some time to rebuild the city. In 1959 the city's population reached pre-war numbers again. Afterwards the city grew steadily, and in 1975 the number exceeded one million inhabitants for about a year. The population stayed just below a million for the next 35 years, before again surpassing the million inhabitant mark in 2010.

In the 1980s and 1990s Cologne's economy prospered from two factors. First, the steady growth in the number of media companies in both the private and the public sector. Catering especially to these companies is the newly developed Media Park, which creates a strongly visual focal point in downtown Cologne and includes the ''KölnTurm'' (Cologne Tower), one of Cologne's most prominent highrises. Secondly, a permanent improvement in traffic infrastructure, which makes Cologne one of the most easily accessible metropolitan areas in Central Europe.

Due to the economic success of the [[Cologne Trade Fair]], the city arranged a large extension to the fair site in 2005. The original buildings, which date back to the 1920s, are rented out to [[RTL Group|RTL]], Germany's largest private broadcaster, as their new corporate headquarters.

Cologne was at the centre of the [[2015–16 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany]]. A controversy started after [[Islam in Germany|Muslims]] in Cologne sought to build the [[Cologne Central Mosque]], which was completed in 2017.<ref name="telegraph">Harry de Quetteville. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070711051952/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/25/wger125.xml Huge mosque stirs protests in Cologne]". ''Telegraph'', June 26, 2007.</ref>

Most important for the history of Cologne since the Middle Ages is the [[Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln|Cologne City Archive]], which was the largest in Germany. Its building collapsed during the construction of an extension to the underground railway system on 3 March 2009.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Resistance : subjects, representations, contexts|others=Butler, Martin, Dr.,, Mecheril, Paul, 1962-, Brenningmeyer, Lea|date = 30 June 2017|isbn=978-3-8394-3149-8|location=Bielefeld|pages=124|oclc=1011461726}}</ref>