Cologne - Abtei Deutz

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior".

Abtei Deutz ("Deutz Abbey") was founded in 1003 on the site of a Roman fort, that once had safeguarded the bridge the Romans had built over the Rhine. The abbey was founded by the future Saint Heribert, Archbishop of Cologne, who was an adviser of Emperor Otto III. Heribert consecrated the newly built church in 1020 and was buried here a year later.

During the wars of the 14th and 16th century the abbey got devasted, but rebuilt. The church seen now was erected in 1663. When Naopleon´s troops reached Cologne the abbey got secularized Since 1804 the church served the parish.

End of the 19th century a new parish chucrh was erected (see the two bell towers) and so Deutz since then hosts "Alt St. Heribert" and "Neu St. Heribert".

The abbey got severely damaged during WWII. It got reconstructed in the 1970s. The former abbey church "Alt St. Herbert" now is the center of Cologne´s Greek Orthodox parish.