History of Cologne - Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic

From the end of World War I until 1926 Cologne was occupied by the British Army of the Rhine under the terms of the armistice and the subsequent Versailles Peace Treaty. Contrary to the harsh measures taken by French occupation troops, the British acted with more tact towards the local population. Mayor of Cologne from 1917 until 1933 and future West German chancellor Konrad Adenauer acknowledged the political impact of this approach, especially that the British opposed French plans for a permanent Allied occupation of the Rhineland.

As part of the de-militarization of the Rhineland the fortifications had to be dismantled. This was taken as an opportunity to create two green belts (Grüngürtel) around the city by converting the fortifications and their clear fields for fire into large public parks. However this project was not completed until 1933.

In 1919 the University of Cologne, closed by the French in 1798, was founded anew. This re-foundation was considered a substitute for the German University of Strasbourg that became part of France just as the rest of Alsace. Cologne prospered during the Weimar Republic and progress was made especially in respect to public governance, city planning and social affairs. Social housing projects were considered exemplary and copied by other German cities.

As Cologne competed for hosting the Olympics a modern sports stadium was erected at Müngersdorf. Beginning of the 1920s civil aviation was readmitted and Cologne Butzweilerhof Airport soon became a hub for national and international air traffic. Second in Germany only to Berlin Tempelhof Airport.