Harry-Blum-Platz, Pedestrian square in Altstadt-Süd, Cologne, Germany
Harry-Blum-Platz is a small pedestrian square at the southern tip of the harbor basin in Cologne's Rheinauhafen district, part of Altstadt-Süd. It sits at the end of Im Zollhafen street, with open views over the water and the quayside nearby.
The square was created as part of the redevelopment of the Rheinauhafen, when the former port area was transformed into a mixed residential and office district from the late 1990s onward. It received its current name in 2005 in honor of mayor Harry Blum, who died in 2000.
The square takes its name from Harry Blum, the first directly elected mayor of Cologne. A bronze statue shows him standing on a stone base, and many passersby pause for a moment to look at it.
The square is easy to reach on foot and sits close to the Kranhaus Süd building, which serves as a simple landmark for orientation. Since no cars pass through this area, it can be explored at any time without rush.
The bronze statue on the square was made by sculptor Kurt Arentz, who had already created a bust of Blum in 1999 that stayed in private hands before moving to the mayor's office after Blum's death. The public monument only came in 2014, more than 10 years after he died.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
