Cologne, 1945: What Easy Company Saw—and What You Can Still See Today

Easy Company in Cologne: Touring a City at the End of the War

When I finally made it to Cologne, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The city is clean, modern, and busy—cafés by the river, trams running on time, the soaring spires of the cathedral. But a few minutes off the tourist path, you begin to notice the small signs of history.

And it hits harder when you know what Easy Company saw here.

 

 

 

A Tour Through Rubble: Speirs Leads Easy Company Into Cologne

It was spring 1945. The war was almost over. Captain Ronald Speirs, known for his tough command style, arranged something unexpected—a sightseeing trip. He wanted the men of Easy Company to see the destruction for themselves.

Cologne had been bombed more than 250 times.

• Every window shattered
• Every church damaged
• Entire streets buried in rubble

But the city hadn’t stopped. Civilians were out sweeping sidewalks, salvaging bricks, rebuilding homes.

Private Shifty Powers remembered thinking:

“The German civilians themselves were regular folks like the rest of us.”

Lieutenant Foley noticed the careful piles of cobblestones, ready to be reused. He called it “amazing.”

Near the Rhine, a few men laughed at the mangled skeleton of a suspension bridge. An elderly German couple beside them began to cry. In that moment, Easy Company saw not just the ruins of war, but the people who had to live among them.

 

 

 

What to See in Cologne Today

You can still follow their path.

• Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) – Bombed but never broken. It towers over the city today, just as it did in 1945.
  View on Google Maps »
• Statue of Bismarck – Still on horseback. His sword, once pointed toward France, was snapped by shrapnel.
• The Rhine River – Where Easy’s men stood and looked out across the wreckage.

Learn more at the Cologne Tourism Site »

 

 

 

Planning Your Visit to Cologne

Cologne is a major rail hub, easy to reach from Paris, Brussels, or Frankfurt. Spend at least half a day here—longer if you plan to climb the cathedral tower or visit the nearby NS Documentation Center (a former Gestapo prison, now a museum).

To walk where Easy Company walked, start at the cathedral, then make your way down to the river. Keep an eye out for plaques, war-era scars on buildings, and subtle reminders of what this city once endured.

 

 

 

See It For Yourself

You can still walk the same streets Easy Company did. You can still stand by the Rhine and imagine what they saw—and what they felt.

Ready to visit Cologne?
The Band of Brothers Travel Guide has everything you need to plan your trip.
📘 Available now on Amazon
🌍 Learn more at www.bergsandburgs.com