In 1933, the National Socialists established their rule in Cologne within a few weeks. Until 1945, they determined the entire political life and the fate of the people in the city. This volume illuminates all areas of social life, from politics and urban development to economy, culture, sports, and religion, as well as the persecution and extermination of minorities, resistance, and life during the war. The author debunks numerous cherished myths, such as the notion of a special Cologne spirit of resistance. At the same time, he introduces readers to specific life stories in the Rhineland metropolis, not only of the perpetrators and bystanders but especially of the countless victims. It is a study that is both factual and deeply unsettling about this city.