Now you also have the possibility to see the city of Andernach in a different light: For you, we put together the most frequently asked topics in connection with the multi-facetted past of Andernach on the Rhine:

1. Medieval city
Experience the history of the city from the end of the Roman rule to the development to a port and a trading place and to a settlement with urban character, which had a considerable part in the remote trade and was one of the most important coinage places in the German Reich.

2. Rule of the bishops
The gift of the empire court of Andernach by the emperor Friedrich I., Barbarossa, to the archbishop of Cologne, Rainald von Dassel, in 1167 made Andernach the southernmost cornerstone of the Cologne electorate until the end of the old empire. Ecclesiastically the town belonged to the archbishopric of Trier since the early Middle Ages.

3. Romanesque and gothic in Andernach
Late Romanesque St. Mary's Church, St. Michael’s Chapel, an architectural gem from the Staufer period, the Gothic church of the former Franciscan cloister and the Jewish Mikwe from the 13^th century are outstanding examples of the Romanesque and Gothic style in Andernach.

4. The well-fortified city
Walls, gates and towers safeguarded the town against the attackers from the 12^th century up to the end of the 17^th century. The ruin of the city castle built by the archbishops of Cologne in the 12^th century is also a unique monument of the city fortification.

5. Jewish bath - Jews in Andernach
The two-floor Jewish bath situated under the historical city hall and also called 'Mikwe', is one the oldest constructions in Germany. The construction belonged to the complex of the medieval synagogue area which was taken over by the Andernach city-councilor after the destruction of the Jewish congregation in 1349. The city-councilor built its hall at this place.

6. From the Roman port to the industrial port
Andernach has been a port for more than 2000 years. In the Roman time there was a brisk trade with volcanic products from the backcountry. This trade was run with crane ships and as of the late Middle Ages with a solid crane at the banks of the Rhine, which was used until 1911. The old crane called ‘Alte Krahnen’ has been preserved as one of the few industrial monuments of this time. Today a turnover volume of 3 m. tons makes the Andernach port the greatest one on the Middle Rhine.

7. The hospital chapel
The special highlight of the hospital chapel (the church of the former Annunciation cloister in the middle of the 17^th century) is the painting decorated with many details, which shows an elaborate concept, both regarding the use of illusion painting and picture contents. A baroque gem in the midst of the old town.