.koeln

Overview

• .koeln is a geographic top-level domain (GeoTLD) for Cologne (Köln), Germany.
• The string corresponds to the German name for the city ("Köln") and is paired with the English-language GeoTLD .cologne.
• It is intended to serve Cologne residents, institutions and businesses and to support local branding and communication.

History

• The .koeln application was submitted during ICANN's New gTLD Program (applicant: NetCologne Gesellschaft für Telekommunikation mbH).
• A Registry Agreement was issued on 09 January 2014.
• .koeln was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 5 March 2014 and officially launched in 2014.
• The registry was later acquired by dotKoeln GmbH in January 2018. (The Wikipedia infobox lists RyCE GmbH as the registry and dotKoeln GmbH as sponsor.)

Usage and Audience

• Intended audience:
  • Residents of Cologne
  • Local companies and businesses
  • Municipal institutions, organizations and communities
• The city of Cologne uses the TLD in communication and marketing projects.
• The registry's stated mission includes benefiting Cologne’s companies, communities and residents and supporting local marketing efforts.

Registration Rules

• The registry publishes registration policies (Registration Requirements document available via nic.koeln).
• Intended use is local to Cologne; specific eligibility rules and any restrictions are set out in the registry's policy documents.
• Dispute resolution follows the UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy).
• DNSSEC is enabled for the zone.

SEO and Brand Impact

• .koeln is positioned as a local brand and marketing tool for Cologne-based entities.
• Adoption by the city and local organizations supports recognition and trust for Cologne-focused websites.
• The TLD provides a geographic identifier that organizations can use to emphasize local presence.

Notable Cases or Examples

• The city of Cologne uses the .koeln TLD in its communications and marketing initiatives.
• .koeln is commonly mentioned alongside .cologne as the two GeoTLD options for Cologne.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       KOELN

organisation: dotKoeln GmbH
address:      Schoenbrunner Strasse 231
address:      Vienna 1120
address:      Austria

contact:      administrative
name:         Ronald Schwaerzler
organisation: dotKoeln GmbH
address:      Schoenbrunner Strasse 231
address:      Vienna 1120
address:      Austria
phone:        +43 1 198116-700
fax-no:       +43 1 98116-111
e-mail:       ronald.schwaerzler@domainworx.consulting

contact:      technical
name:         Technical Operations
organisation: RyCE GmbH
address:      Schoenbrunner Strasse 231
address:      Vienna 1120
address:      Austria
phone:        +431981160
fax-no:       +43198116111
e-mail:       tech@dns.business

nserver:      DNS.RYCE-RSP.COM 194.0.11.114 2001:678:e:114:0:0:0:53
nserver:      NS1.DNS.BUSINESS 157.90.205.138 2a01:4f8:252:4295:0:0:9d5a:cd8a
nserver:      NS1.RYCE-RSP.COM 193.56.204.111 2a0c:8f40:0:701:0:0:0:111
ds-rdata:     38539 8 2 3d58791c3bccf61d15649d4d6a7b686b7cdf411dbe4af145ece40fed88ebcbcf

whois:        whois.ryce-rsp.com

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.nic.koeln

created:      2014-02-20
changed:      2025-09-01
source:       IANA