Slipping through a crack in time, we find ourselves at Zwischenwerk XI b. It’s not the imposing fortress it once was. Zwischenwerk XI b, built between 1877 and 1879, originally stood proudly as part of Cologne’s new German fortifications. This place, south of Berliner Straße on Cottbuser Straße, bristled with defensive power. Four 9cm cannons were poised, ready to defend the city. A garrison of around 150 men filled its walls. The walls themselves were thick, a testament to 19th-century military engineering. They measured between one and two and a half meters thick. The ceilings were even more impressive. A meter of brick, a meter of sand, 1.2 meters of concrete, and half a meter of earth layered together to create a nearly impenetrable barrier. Zwischenwerk XI b wasn’t just about brute strength. It had a unique feature. Unlike the other Rhine fortifications, its outer ditch wall wasn’t brick, but sloped earth. It never underwent the transformation from artillery fort to infantry fort that other Zwischenwerke experienced. By 1922, the world had changed. The need for such fortifications lessened. Zwischenwerk XI b was partially demolished. But it wasn’t abandoned. A few years later, in 1927, a new vision emerged. Fritz Encke, a renowned landscape architect, transformed the remaining structure into a recreational area. Imagine vibrant flowers cascading over the old walls. Today, the flowers may be gone. But the city of Cologne ensures Zwischenwerk XI b doesn’t fall into disrepair. The Kehlkaserne, the throat barracks, still stands. It echoes with the music of the Holweidener Youth Music and Fanfare Corps. The front and flanking ditches and ramparts remain, reshaped into ornamental gardens. Even the ghostly outlines of the double shoulder caponier can be traced, marked by low pedestal walls. Zwischenwerk XI b may be a ruin, but it’s a living ruin. It whispers stories of war and peace, of destruction and renewal.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to