1936 On the Continent

say that as much Bridge is played to-day in Germany as in England. Many cafés have special Bridge rooms and there are many Bridge salons in the large towns, where good partners may be had. Every hotel porter can give information as to these.
Civic Institutions
    The search for a hotel gave me no trouble at all in Cologne. The sort that one requires is to be found all round the station and on the Cathedral Square. I learnt here that every German town has three central points—the railway station, the Head Post Office and the Town Hall. The Germans live much more of a civic life than we do, and even before the formation of the Third Reich, which has developed the civic sense to its highest pitch, state and municipal institutions were of far more importance than with us. The English townsman lives in his family, the German townsman in the municipality, and thus it is that the whole life of the town is grouped round the municipal institutions. It may also be said that these serve the people in more ways than do ours. I have already spoken of the railway stations; the Town Halls are usually a centre for the chief welfare organisations and information bureaux for all purposes, and in addition—a friendly note—there is nearly always the Town Hall “cellar,” a favourite place for civic enjoyment. The food and drink supplied there depend, of course, on the lessee, but in any town it is nearly always safe to make for the Rathauskeller if one wants a decent meal. Generally it is a typical German hostelry, and there is always a good wine list, as the choice of wines is the care and pride of all Rathauskeller hosts.
    We have nothing like the Head Post Office in England. In this establishment everything connected with postal business is to be found, and in most towns it is open day and night. If one is unable to give a definite address in any town it is best to have one’s letters sent to “Hauptpostlagernd,” and there is no town where letters addresssed thus will not be quickly and conveniently received. For telephoning also the Head Post Office is superior tobranch offices, as both information and connection are quicker there. The variety of its services usually means that it is a very large building and is equipped in the most modern manner inside and out. As it is always very central it is most convenient for making appointments and for getting one’s bearings.
    The Cologne Rathaus is in parts one of the oldest buildings in the town, which in spite of its many antiquities gives the impression of being quite modern. The municipal banqueting hall is one of the most renowned in Germany—it is called Gürzenich and is well worth a short visit. This beautiful hall was dedicated to the joy of life—Roman, Celtic and Germanic elements are happily mixed therein. Cologne is one of the chief centres of German Catholicism, which fact is evidenced by the countless churches. It is also the
mise-en-scène
of the most famous of the German carnivals. The English carnivals somewhat illogically take place in summer, the Rhenish and Bavarian, according to four-hundred-year-old tradition, in carnival time, which every year ends with Ash Wednesday, usually falling in February, and the face of this busy and industrious town completely changes during this time.
Cologne Cathedral
    In addition to the carnival, Cologne is world-famous for two other things—the cathedral which, with its great size and soaring Gothic beauty, made upon me, who am no connoisseur, an unforgettable impression. With its two great towers, and accompanying small one, it dominates the whole town. To be exact, I think our most beautiful cathedral at Salisbury attracts me more, because it is situated in the midst of grass lawns, whilst Cologne Cathedral is right in the turmoil of the town. It has, however, a really astonishing individuality of its own. The building of it was begun in the thirteenth century and ended but a couple of decades ago in our own time. Whilst other churches which have been completed later have been spoilt by variations in style, this is not so in Cologne. By a fortunate circumstance the medieval plans were discovered in the nineteenth century in two different places, and the building was therefore completed in the original style.
    Many people know of Cologne Cathedral, but many more use Eau de Cologne. Cologne, which has become world-famous through it, has actually an accident to thank for it. When, some hundreds of years ago, some Italian