A Local Time Machine to Travel From Past Centuries Into Modern Times
Delving into history is thrilling for many – delving into the history of the city of Cologne in Germany shall be a great experience and adventure!
This sums up perfectly the intention of the team behind the recently started Cologne Time Machine: A single family researcher set out to collect all data sources relevant for the region of Cologne which will be made available on the website of the Cologne Time Machine with the help of further family researchers of the German non-profit Association for Computer Genealogy (CompGen) and the Westdeutschen Gesellschaft für Familienkunde e.V. (West-German Association for Famiy History).
The main intention of the Cologne Time Machine is to show social and culturally relevant living conditions of the citizens of Cologne throughout time. It is only through the discovery and description of individual life stories in connection with historical developments that genealogical data can actually start to breathe and come to live.
Building blocks of the Cologne Time Machine
The team behind the Cologne Time Machine starts their journey in the Middle Ages researching first genealogical sources. Their data and sources will be categorised as followed:
- Epoch I: 1300 – 1794 = Middle Ages to Early Modern Era
- Epoch II: 1794 – 1815 = French Era
- Epoch III: 1815 – 1945 = Prussian Era
- Epoch IV: 1945 – today = Post WWII Era
Based on historical maps of the city of Cologne, different eras and stages of city development will be demonstrated: City maps show urban connecting paths; trade routes connect the city and its surroundings. The Cologne Time Machine team will list and compare these streets according to their location and names in specific eras.
Depending on the available source material, houses and buildings such as churches, schools, official buildings and many more will be classified and located with house numbers in the streets.
To learn more about the Cologne Time Machine and get in touch with the team, please visit their website (in German).