Wilhelm von Orlens and companions travelling to Cologne to obtain his fief

In 50 AD, the Romans founded Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Cologne) on the river Rhine and the city became the provincial capital of Germania Inferior in 85 AD and one of the most important trade and production centers in the Roman Empire until it was occupied by the Franks in 462. By the end of the 12th century, the Archbishop of Cologne was one of the seven electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1288, Cologne gained its independence from the archbishops and became a Free City within the Holy Roman Empire. The Free Imperial City of Cologne must not be confused with the Electorate of Cologne which was a state of its own within the Holy Roman Empire. Cologne's location at the intersection of the major trade routes between east and west as well as the south-north was the basis of Cologne's growth. By 1300 the city population exceeded 50,000. Cologne lost its status as a free city when all the territories of the Holy Roman Empire on the left bank of the Rhine were incorporated into the French Republic and Napoleon's Empire. The Cologne Cathedral, started in 1248, abandoned in 1560, was eventually finished in 1880 not just as a place of worship but also as a German national monument celebrating the newly founded German empire and the continuity of the German nation since the Middle Ages. By World War I, Cologne had grown to 700,000 inhabitants. During World War II, the Allies dropped 44,923 tons of bombs on the city, destroying 61% of buildings, causing 20,000 civilian casualties and wiped out the central part of the city. In 1945 architect and urban planner Rudolf Schwarz called Cologne the "world's greatest heap of rubble". The reconstruction lasted until the 1990s.

Diebold Lauber was a German printer and publisher who lived in the 15th century. He was born in Hagenau, Alsace in 1427 and died in Strasbourg in 1471. Lauber was one of the most important printers of his time and was known for producing high quality books and manuscripts. He was particularly skilled at printing religious texts, including Bibles, prayer books and hymnals. Lauber's most famous work is the 'Mammoth Bible', which he printed in 1460. This massive book contained over 1,200 pages and weighed over 700 pounds. It was the largest book ever printed at the time and a testament to Lauber's skill as a printer. Lauber was also known for his innovative printing techniques. He used woodcuts and metal engravings to illustrate his books and was one of the first printers to use movable type. Lauber's legacy as a printer and publisher is still felt today. His books are highly prized by collectors and scholars and provide valuable insights into the history of printing and publishing during the Renaissance.