Chlodwigplatz

Chlodwigplatz anchors the southern end of the Severinstrasse with its massive, rounded Severinstorburg gate. This medieval structure once served as the southern entrance to Cologne, guarding the city walls back in the thirteenth century. While traffic now circles the square in a steady hum, the gate remains. During the chaotic final days of April nineteen forty-five, a local woman named Maria Wevers stood before these very stones and successfully negotiated with advancing American troops to prevent the further shelling of the remaining civilian population.