Cities are constantly evolving and buildings are abandoned as soon as they lose their original use. Many of them are too expensive to maintain or demolish and are therefore left to slowly decay. But they do not fall into loneliness. In recent years, these so-called Lost Places or Abandoned Places have attracted urban explorers (Urbexers) who, equipped with cameras or spray cans, make the buildings their own.
How do you behave as an urban explorer?
Even if Cologne doesn’t have as many lost places as some other cities – especially Berlin – there are still plenty to discover. But a few words first. Although urban exploring can be carried out relatively problem-free in many places, there are a few points to bear in mind.
- Leave nothing behind. Vandalism and theft are a no-go.
- Don’t take any risks, the buildings are dilapidated.
- Be careful and respectful. Some lost places are guarded, others are watched by neighbors.
- Do not share specific addresses for the places
Fühlingen House
There are many rumors about Haus Fühlingen on Neusser Landstraße. The fact is, it was once a manor house with an adjoining racecourse and belonged to the Oppenheim banking family. During the Nazi era, the family was slandered as Jewish and forced to sell off parts of the racecourse. A judge is said to have committed suicide on the site and to haunt it as a ghost. And centuries earlier, in 1288, the Battle of Worringen took place on the land where the villa stood. Lots of blood, lots of legends.
Haunted or not, the grounds are very dilapidated. If you decide to enter the villa, you should be very careful. Being struck by a beam is not only more prosaic than being frightened by a ghost, it is also more fatal for your physical well-being.
Deutz works
One lost place that is in the process of disappearing is KHD, Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz, now known as Deutz AG. Four-stroke engines used to be built here for Daimler and Bugatti, but now plants overgrow the site and share the space with graffiti. Now it is to make way for a new district, a residential quarter. An unbelievable pity.
Fort IX fortress
One fly in the ointment: the site is not open to the public. Now you can do what you like with this information. Fort IX is one of the former fortifications on the right bank of the Rhine and was built between 1877 and 1881. However, immediately after the First World War, the fort was used for other purposes. The Nazis used it as a reformatory and forced laborers were housed here during the Second World War. In any case, it is an atmospheric complex that can definitely have a creepy effect in the evening or at night.