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How did Roman settlement begin in the area of Cologne?

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Cologne The Hohenzollern rail and pedestrian bridge over the Rhine River, Cologne, Germany, with the city's cathedral in the background.

Roman settlement in the area of Cologne began following the destruction of the Eburones tribe by Julius Caesar in 53 BCE. Subsequently, the Roman general Agrippa colonized the region by settling the Ubii, a tribe from the right bank of the Rhine.

A fortified settlement was established on the site around 38 BCE. This location was the birthplace of Julia Agrippina, the wife of Emperor Claudius. At her request, the town was granted the title of a Roman colony in 50 CE, becoming known as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (shortened to Colonia). The town eventually served as the headquarters for the governor of Lower Germany. Evidence of this era remains visible today through archaeological findings, such as the 1st-century-CE tower from the original city wall and the remains of the North Gate.12