There’s a lot of history in Germany, from ancient settlements through to the events of both the World Wars. So you know that whatever qualifies as the most visited landmark in the whole country has to be worthy of your attention. And that distinction goes to the Cologne Cathedral – the Kolner Dom – making it ideal for river cruises on the Rhine.
Construction on the Cathedral began in 1248, but it wasn’t built on unused land. It’s believed that various structures had occupied the site since Roman times or perhaps even earlier, with an original cathedral considered to be one of the first completed in 818. This was torched in 1248 to make way for the new structure.
The Cathedral was planned to house the relics of the Three Kinds, which had come into the possession of the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164. These relics were drawing in pilgrims from across the reaches of Christianity so it was decided that a fitting home for the items was required. The eastern arm of the Cathedral was built first, consecrated in 1322 and sealed off so that it could be used without interruption as work on the remaining structure continued.
However there was a temporary break before the western arm was started, and this was stopped in 1473. A crane was left in place for 400 years as very little work was carried out. Building didn’t resume until 1842, when there was a real romanticism for Medieval architecture and structures. The cost of completing the Cathedral equates to over $1 billion today, with two-thirds of this money raised by a civic group. With modern construction techniques, the Cathedral was completed much faster, fully finished by 1880.
During World War II, the Cathedral was hit numerous times by bombs but it never collapsed. One theory for this is that it wasn’t ever properly targeted for severe damage as the twin towers served as a useful landmark for Allied pilots. Repair work was needed, and for 61 years poor-quality brick was left in place as a reminder of the war until it was modified in 2005.
The Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and for a time it was the only building in the western world on the World Heritage in Danger list, after approval was sought for plans to build a high-rise nearby that would have affected the view of the church, but these plans were scrapped.
It’s undoubted that there’s a lot of history to the Cathedral, and when you see the incredible design of the building itself, the stained glass windows and the treasures within, it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular.
By Ian Lewis
Google
