The Gero Cross or Gero Crucifix that dates back to around 965–970, is one of the oldest large sculpture of the crucified Christ from the north of the Alps. And from centuries it has been on display at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The Cross was constructed by Gero, Archbishop of Cologne, who passed away in 976, as provided a terminus ante quem for the work. This is there carved in oak and is painted and therefore partially gilded and has been renewed hence after. There halo and cross-pieces are exactly original but, there the Baroque surround was further fixed into year 1683. The figure is about 187 cm high, and at arms it is spread about to 165 cm.

The cross looks like as the earliest and the finest of life-size German wood sculpted crucifixions that there appeared in the late Ottonian or early Romanesque period and later on spread to much of the Europe. More it seems like as the oldest Western depiction of a dead Christ on the cross as in the much earlier depictions where the Christ holds his head straight. On the depiction on the cross the bended and the twisted body arises and are fixed with nails to the cross at varying heights. This type of example was never seen either at the Carolingian nor Byzantine art and even was quite slow to the Western depictions. Yet the long hair there spread over the shoulders has been found in some of the Carolingian works. In crucifixions of the Gothic period there is shown as a slumped and curved figure of Christ, with the bent knees sideways was the standard depiction over there.

Now the cross hangs in the chapel close to sacristy in Cologne Cathedral that now is a Gothic building.  The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg, mentions that it originally was situated above the Gero’s grave, yet the majority hardly support this claim and places it at the central axis on the nave. The cross is been celebrated as well as visited by pilgrims. One copy of the cross is located at and hangs at the St. Alphonsus Chapel situated in the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The musikFabrik (musicFactory) is a group of the contemporary music as situated in Cologne. Since the foundation of the group in 1990 it is considered as the leading groups of the contemporary music and tones. According to the name suggested, musicFabrik is dedicated to artistic innovation. In their actual production form they work with new and medial forms. The output of their work is as shown in close collaboration with the composers and is presented by the international soloists in about 80 to 100 concerts every year in Germany and abroad in festivals and in their personal world Premiere series “musikFabrik in WDR” along with regular radio and CD productions. The musikFabrik is thus is supported by the state of North-Rhine Westphalia.

They started, their performances under the name, “Ensemble Neue Musik Nordrhein-Westfalen“, as on 28 April 1991 at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik.  The structuring of the group occurred at the end of 1990. The founders of the ensemble, Bernhard Wambach, Nicolaus A. Huber, and Gerhard Stäbler and the designated conductor and artistic director Johannes Kalitzke selected and pooled 20 musicians and presented the proposed project. Most of the musicians present there were much excited about the idea of forming a fulltime professional group which would be rather working at the contemporary music and programs in close collaboration and group with composers.
Since 1997 the group firmly organized itself and there made very important artistic decisions in terms of their own ranks. Their emphasis then shifted with a focuses approach towards international reputation. In year 2003 musikFabrik moved from Düsseldorf to Cologne and there they get massive support from the Kunststiftung NRW, WDR (West German Radio) and KölnMusik, musikFabrik presently has a very successful world Première concert series “musikFabrik in WDR“. MusikFabrik prepares for these concerts and other projects at their new residential place. In 2008, they moved into the KOMED building in MediaPark (Cologne).

The musicians of musikFabrik have pooled well with the younger generation of conductors, composers, directors and choreographers as well as the fresher ones as well. The huge list of musikfabrik includes Mark Andre, Louis Andriessen, Stefan Asbury, Richard Ayres, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Earle Brown, Unsuk Chin, Péter Eötvös, Vinko Globokar, Heiner Goebbels, Georg Friedrich Haas, Toshio Hosokawa, Nicolaus A. Huber, Michael Jarrell, Mauricio Kagel, Helmut Lachenmann, Klaus Lang, Diego Masson, Martin Matalon, Zsolt Nagy and many more noted singers and musicians.

The Historical Archive of the City of Cologne that is considered as one of the largest communal archives in Europe too is the municipal archive of Cologne, Germany. In this municipal archive there is a collection and custody of records from the middle Ages. The oldest inventory of charters in the archive is dated 1408/1409. The oldest document that one can access in the archive is dated back to the date 922 AD. The archive has official records and private documents from all ages of Cologne’s historical background. Archive is also the official government repository that is known for gathering the most latest municipal archival records.

The six-story archive building collapsed on 3 March 2009, along with two neighboring apartment buildings. Two residents of neighboring buildings were found dead.[2] All archive staff and visiting archive users survived, as they could escape after a warning by construction workers. The actual degree of damage to the historical treasures kept in the building is still unknown. A substantial part of the written records of the city’s history is believed to have been destroyed. The work of communal archives in the land of North Rhine-Westphalia is lined on the basis of the Archivgesetz des Landes NRW bill of 1989. The municipal archive of Cologne is also ruled by the municipal archive ordinance Archivsatzung.

The first trace of the archieve is believed to be existed around and to yea 1322. In 1326 the city council decided to establish the so-called White Book, a book of copies of charters and privileges. A tower was constructed in the city in between the period from 1407 till 1414 and along with other purposes it was also used as the storage room for   municipal charters, privileges and securities. After the secularization of abbeys and colleges of canons in Cologne at the start of the 19th century, the French government ordered their archives to be stored in the state archives in Düsseldorf forms the municipal archive in cologne. And it was till 1949, a Cologne mayor was succeeded in claiming 19,000 charters and many other records back for the Cologne municipal archives.

During the period from 1894 to 1897, a new building was constructed about the municipal achieve and library. The Gothic revival building by architect Friedrich Carl Heimann was came in use in December 1897.  The new building was large enough to accommodate the archive in a time of accelerated growth when the city of Cologne incorporated many independent towns and villages. However, in World War II, the building suffered the massive damage due to bombing. Further in 1971, a six-story archive building was constructed by architect Fritz Haferkamp was built on Severinstraße at the southern part of Cologne’s city center. On 3 March 2009 at 1:58 p.m. the archive building collapsed due to the seemed reason of the   construction of a new subway line of the Cologne Stadtbahn system.

The Gero Cross or Gero Crucifix that dates back to about 965–970, is the oldest large sculpture of the crucified Christ situated at the north of the Alps, is on display and exhibition in Cologne Cathedral. The cross was commissioned by Gero, Archbishop of Cologne, who perished in 976. The cross is carved in oak and is painted and is partially gilded and is been renewed. On the cross, the halo and cross pieces are too original, but the Baroque summarized there was been added in 1683. The figure there is about 187 cm high and is even spread in arms about 165 cm.

The figure on the cross looks like as one of the earlier one and is the best life size German wood sculpted crucifixions that even appeared at a time in the late Ottonian or during early Romanesque period, later spread to the entire Europe. More, it seems like the oldest symbolism of western thought of the died Christ on the cross. On the cross, the Christ keeps his head straight and looks beneath towards Virgin at the foot of the cross.

The description of the slumped head, and the twisted body rising after hands being nailed to the cross at different heights has never been tried out or shown in to the cross at different heights, are found neither in Carolingian nor Byzantine art, and were even slow to have impression upon the Western thought. The crucifixions of the Gothic period yet have to be more slumped and have rather curved figure of Christ. Moreover, it is different with method of earlier figures of Christ as been shown in metal or metal on a wooden core
With respect to detail of Christ in this cross, there cross hangs out in its own chapel near the sacristy in Cologne. According to The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg, as written around 1012-1018, it indeed was shown above the Gero’s grave. According, to most of the scholars it is kept somewhere on the central axis of the nave.  It is been celebrated and visited by pilgrims. The replica of the crucifix hangs in the St. Alphonsus Chapel located in the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The Cologne Carnival is celebrated in cologne every year at start of the “fifth season” (carnival season) and begins at 11th of November. However the joy of merriment in the carnival gets suspended around the period of Advent and Christmas, and soon restarts as early as possible during the New Year. The time of celebration for the carnival gets officially declared around the downtown square Alter Markt on the Thursday well before the start of Lent. Street carnival is about a week-long street festival, that is also known as the “the crazy days”, and occurs between the Fat Thursday (Weiberfastnacht) and ends on Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). The main feature of the carnival is Rose Monday (Rosenmontag), two days before Ash Wednesday. During these days the masses of Cologne gets masqueraded. The typical greeting during the festival is Kölle Alaaf!, a Kölsch phrase that means as “Cologne alive!”

Amidst the activities of Carnival, there 3 people (the Dreigestirn) that are granted the titles of Jungfrau, Prinz, and Bauer (virgin, prince and farmer), provides the large sum of money for their privileges. The carnival prince is termed as to be the highest representative of the festivities, as leads the main parades throughout the week. The Jungfrau (“Virgin”) the character is always played by a man as being dresses as a female. All these three are treated as group since 1883 and earlier they were only the individual characters, who entered into the Cologne carnival in the 1820s.

The farmer keeps the title of “Seine Deftigkeit” (His Heftyness) of a stately stature, due to cologne being a large city. He resembles the chivalry of the old privileged imperial city of Cologne. The sword and the flail show his faithfulness to the empire and his honesty. Being a keeper of the city, he also keeps the city keys at his girdle. The key symbolizes the heroes of the city militia contingent in the Battle of Worringen AD1288, whereafter the city achieved independence from the archbishop of Cologne. Next there is the virgin, named as the “Ihre Lieblichkeit” (Her Lovelyness) resembles the patronizing mother Colonia and is traditionally shown by a man. Beard or moustaches are not allowed for this role. From 1936-43, the virgin role was ordered by Nazi authorities to be played by a real woman. Nazis treated men in women clothing as equal to homosexual thing and termed it as immoral. The carnival with parades and stage shows is organized by the Festkomitee Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival Celebration Committee) that was founded around in 1823.

Excelsior Hotel Ernst, 5 star hotel in Cologne

• Overview of the Hotel: The hotel Excelsior promises the exclusive peace and convenience at the center of Cologne. The hotel is renowned for the straight details as provided for the exclusive attention and beautiful designs in the hotel.   It is all about 145 years old hotel with a good number of amenities, two restaurants, a piano bar, a health club and Studio de Beauté, as well as facilities for business and meeting activities.

• Amenities in Hotel: The hotel provides a good number of amenities and services like  restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, newspapers, terrace, non-smoking rooms, elevator, express check-in/check-out, safe, soundproofed rooms, heating, baggage storage, stores in hotel, air conditioning, designated smoking area. In hotel there is also provided various services like room service, meeting/banquet facilities, business center, babysitting/child services, laundry, dry cleaning, hair/beauty salon, vip room facilities, breakfast in the room, ironing service, honeymoon suite, shoe shine, tour desk, fax/photocopying and ticket service. In hotel Wi-Fi is allowed in public places for a level of fee. There wired internet is also provided in the hotel room for some fee.

• Hotel Rules: There are some general rules and policies for the people staying in the hotel however these rules can differ from hotel room to hotel rooms. The check in time into hotel is 15:00 hours and check out time is 13:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policy varies from hotel room to hotel room. The children below 13 years of age can stay in hotel and charged extra money for existing beds. Maximum capacity to stay in room is one.  Pets are allowed in the hotel for certain fee and charges. The hotel accepts cards like American Express, Visa, Euro, Master card, Diners club and JCB.

• Hotel Room Type and Rates:

Standard Single Room:  € 199.11 (Per Night)
Standard Double Room: € 218.07(Per Night)
Single Deluxe Room: € 218.07 (Per Night)
Double Deluxe Room: € 284.45(Per Night)
Junior Suite: € 360.30 (Per Night)