Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park

Since studying here in Cologne, I have always enjoyed going to a park, which up until last summer didn’t really have a name. We just called it Aachener Weiher, but since last summer it has an official name: Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park.

Why? Well, in my opinion, just because. Just because naming a park after the victims of American bombings, might detract from the fact that Germany wasn’t all that guiltless either. I mean, it would have made sense to name the park Coventry Park, or after some victims of German aggression…but I guess it’s cooler to name them after victims of American aggression, right?

I think it's kind of ironic that the two former aggressors in WWII got together for a pity party for their victims, and that a lot of those present in the crowds resembled your typical anti-American protestors.

I digress. What is interesting about this park, is that it is a little hill in the middle of a pretty flat city. And I had never really asked myself why there was this huge mound in this park. Well, the answer is pretty simple: the hill is actually rubble from Cologne after WWII. When they started rebuilding the city, they had to take their rubble somewhere, and started a heap in the city…soon the heap got so big, they decided to leave it there, and make a park out of it. I think it's kind of cool that we BBQ on this hill now, and kids run around and slide down slides. It's really a great contrast, building a very pleasant park on this mound of former devastation.