What was everyday life like in medieval Cologne? Who was responsible for enforcing the laws, and what did an executioner actually do?

During this 1.5-hour guided walking tour through Cologne's Old Town, learn about an unusual profession in a medieval society where executioners had a special role.

An executioner was not only responsible for carrying out punishments. The profession included many different tasks that were important to the city and its residents. Learn about the responsibilities of executioners, who could work in this profession and why executioners had a special social position in medieval society.

The tour takes you through Cologne's Old Town and explains how law and public order were organised in medieval Cologne. Learn about the punishments used at the time and how medieval justice worked.

The treatment of people who lived outside the accepted social order is also part of this history. Learn how the medieval city dealt with people who were excluded from society because of infectious diseases, such as leprosy, or because of their profession, such as prostitution.

The tour is not only about law and punishment. It also explores everyday life in medieval Cologne, including social rules, professions, social exclusion and life in a city whose world was very different from the one we know today.

Discover a lesser-known part of Cologne's history and learn why the profession of an executioner had many more aspects than you might initially expect.

Participation is restricted to guests aged 18 and over.