Still the pride of the Catholic Church, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany has a long history. Construction of the cathedral began around 1248 as the new home for The Shrine of the Three Kings. Reinald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne, had the supposed bones of the Three Wise Men moved from Milan in 1164. A shrine with gold figures is now one of the cathedral’s interior features.
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The Shrine of the Three Kings (see image below) became an important religious pilgrimage site. Construction of the cathedral, which would be the shrine’s new home, began around 1248. Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone, and the Gothic-styled cathedral took over 600 years to complete.
Work was halted during the Reformation and the Thirty Years’ War, leading to a 300-year lapse. Construction was resumed in the 19th century. During the 300 years, the north tower collapsed. Architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner laid the groundwork for the restoration and reconstruction of the tower. The interior of the Cologne Cathedral was consecrated in 1848, but work continued until 1880.
At 157 meters (almost 516 feet), the cathedral was once the tallest building in the world. The two towers are almost the same height, with only a few centimeters difference. More than 20,000 people visit the cathedral each day. You can find out information about tours here.
Continuing Work On The Cologne Cathedral
Although officially “complete,” the building is constantly undergoing repair and renovations. The exterior’s black coloration is due to accumulated soot. Due to the building’s age, workers clean the surface using fine aluminum silicate microparticles and low-pressure air.
The stained glass windows are a notable part of the architecture. The windows depict the tales of the Bible within the crafted panes. They allow colored light to filter into the cathedral. The Cologne Cathedral has the greatest window area in any church. There are more than 10,000 square meters (107,639 square feet) of windows. Workers have repaired damage to many of the windows from World War II and rebuilt the south transept window using 11,263 squares with 72 colors. The window creates an abstract tapestry of light within the cathedral.
If you ever travel to Germany, add the Cologne Cathedral to your trip list. The experience will not disappoint you. Please share if you enjoy incredible architecture.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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