Why did John Duns Scotus leave Paris for Cologne in 1307?

In 1307, John Duns Scotus was appointed as a professor at Cologne, though the exact reasons for his abrupt departure from Paris remain a subject of historical debate.1

Some scholars suggest that his minister general, Gonsalvus, may have sent him to Cologne for his own safety. At the time, Duns Scotus was facing intense opposition from secular and Dominican colleagues regarding his defense of the Immaculate Conception. His assertion that Mary need never have contracted original sin was labeled as not only improbable but even heretical by some, including the secular master Jean de Pouilly, who argued that one should proceed against such a claim with measures beyond mere argument. Given the political climate—specifically the heresy trials initiated by Philip IV against the Knights Templars—these challenges carried significant weight.1

Historical accounts describe his departure as hasty, with traditions suggesting he left immediately upon receiving the letter of appointment, leaving his work unfinished.1