Cologne

Cologne

Cologne (German: Köln) is a city located in Germany, itself historically a part of the Holy Roman Empire. From as early as the 5th century, it served as a base for the Hidden Ones who would eventually evolve into the German Brotherhood of Assassins. Centuries later during the Renaissance, the city received visits from members of the Italian Brotherhood.

History

Roman Empire

Shortly after Emperor Honorius's death in 423 CE, the magister and member of the Roman Hidden Ones Vitus wrote to his brethren who were stationed at a bureau in Leicester, England. In his letter, he ordered that its recipient immediately evacuate, due to local tribes who harbored ill sentiments towards the Hidden Ones and their mission having filled the power vacuum left by the departing Roman legions. He extended an invitation for the Hidden Ones to move their headquarters to Cologne and join forces with the local chapter.

The Hidden Ones operating in Roman Gaul also received Vitus' invitation and sealed their bureau in Lutetia, agreeing that the Brotherhood's members should regroup and focus their attention where it was most needed. However, while many Hidden Ones made the journey to Cologne, some elected to remain in Gaul and resume their activities in the region.

Renaissance

Around 1503, several Assassin apprentices sent by Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Rome traveled to Cologne to meet with Conradus Celtis, a scholar who had begun to uncover the existence of the Assassin Order through his thorough studies of history. The Assassins managed to persuade him of the need to keep their existence secret, and Celtis agreed not to publish his research.

Modern times

During World War II, the Edelweiss Pirates hid a Piece of Eden stolen from the Third Reich in one of the spires of the Cologne Cathedral. In 1944, several of the group's members, including Barthel Schink and Miriam Kurtz, were arrested by the Gestapo. During their imprisonment, Schink told Kurtz of the artifact's location in the cathedral's spire and instructed her to retrieve and deliver it to the Assassins in Paris. Despite her reluctance, Kurtz ultimately accomplished the mission.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (mentioned only)
  • The Siege of Paris (mentioned only)