COLOGNE, The ARCHBISHOPRIC or DIOCESE of, formerly one of the states that composed the electoral circle of the Rhine, in Germany. It was bounded on the north by the duchy of Cleves and Gueldres, on the west by that of Juliers, on the south by the archbishopric of Cleves, and on the east by the duchy of Berg, from which it was almost wholly separated by the Rhine. This country is very fruitful in corn and wine, which the inhabitants dispose of by embarking it on the Rhine, it extending above seventy miles along that river. It was divided into the Higher and Lower Diocese: the Higher Diocese contained that part which lies above Cologne, wherein is Bonne, the capital town of the electorate, and where the elector resided; besides which there were Leichnich, Andernach, Bruyl, Zulich, and Kerpen. The Lower Diocese was on the other side of Cologne, and contained the towns of Zonx, Neufs, Heizarwart, Kempen, Rhyenberg, and Alpen. The city of Cologne and county of Meurs, though within the diocese of Cologne, did not belong to it;
for Cologne was a free city, and Meurs belonged to the house of Nassau Orange; but by way of recompense, the elector had considerable dominions in Westphalia, which they call the Domain. This prelate was one of the electors of the empire, and held alternately with that of Treves the second or third rank in the electoral college. He was arch-chancellor of the empire in Italy, which dignity was very important when the emperors were masters of Italy. When the emperors were crowned at Aix-la-chapelle, the archbishop of Cologne performed the ceremony, which caused him to pretend to the same right elsewhere; but he was opposed by the archbishop of Mentz. This occasioned an order, that they should each of them have that honour in his own diocese, but if it was done elsewhere, they should perform it alternately. The archbishop of Cologne was elected by the chapter in that city, which was the most illustrious in all Germany. They were all princes or counts, except eight doctors, who have no occasion to prove their nobility. The archbishopric was secularised during the French revolution, and is now subject to Prussia.