Cologne City Hall and 1096 were followed by the formation of a "commune" and first municipal structures as a basis for urban autonomy. In order to consolidate their economic and political rights, Cologne burghers established fraternities and trade guilds (most notably the "Richerzeche"). In the 1106 war of succession between Emperor Henry V and his father Emperor Henry IV, they took deliberate opposition to the archbishop, after which they gained benefit in regards to the city's territorial expansion over the following years. As – at the time – one of Europe's busiests trading ports and largest city in Germany, the population of Cologne
Districts of Cologne Districts of Cologne Since the last administrative reform in 1975, the City of Cologne is made up of nine Stadtbezirke and 86 Stadtteile. "Stadtbezirk" literally translates as city district, which are further subdivided into "Stadtteile" (city parts). The Stadtteile of Cologne's old and new town ("Alt-" and "Neustadt") further consist of quarters, known as ""Veedel"" in both Kölsch and most often, the Rhinelandic regiolect, as well. City districts are differentiated of being "links-" or "rechtsrheinisch" – "left" or "right of the Rhine", with the old town being left of the Rhine, as are 230,25 km² (56.8 percent of 405,14 km²