Exploring Cologne Cathedral's Impressive Height

Cologne Cathedral, officially known as Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus, is a towering Gothic cathedral in Cologne, Germany. At 157 metres (515 feet) tall, it is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second-tallest church in Europe, and the third-tallest church overall. The cathedral's two huge spires give it the largest façade of any church in the world.

The cathedral's height

Cologne Cathedral is a towering structure, standing at 157 metres (515 feet) tall. It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and the second tallest church in Europe. The cathedral's two huge spires give it the largest façade of any church globally. The south tower is crowned by a huge crane, which was left in place for over 400 years.

The interior of the cathedral also showcases impressive heights. The nave, or central section, reaches 43.58 metres (143 feet) high, while the side aisles attain 19.80 metres (65 feet). The eastern end has a single ambulatory, and the second aisle leads to a chevet of seven radiating chapels. The choir, or area where the clergy and choir sing, retains many of its original fittings, including the carved stalls. A 12.5-foot stone statue of Saint Christopher stands near the earlier entrance to the cathedral before its completion in the 19th century.

Cologne Cathedral's height is a testament to the ambition and perseverance of its builders, and it remains an iconic landmark in the city, attracting millions of visitors each year.

Construction history

Construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was not completed until 1880, with work taking place in several stages over seven centuries. The cathedral was designed in the Gothic style, in emulation of French church architecture. The first master builder of the cathedral was Master Gerhard, who worked on the planning and ground plan. The foundation stone was laid by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden on 15 August 1248. The eastern arm was completed under Master Gerhard and was consecrated in 1322. The construction of the choir was completed in the 14th century, and the foundation for the south tower was laid in 1360. In the 15th century, construction continued on the transept, the side aisles, and the north tower. The bells Pretiosa and Speciosa were cast in 1448/49 and are still part of the cathedral's set of bells.

In the 16th century, work on the cathedral was interrupted due to the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War, and it was not resumed until the 19th century. Attempts to complete the construction began around 1814, but the project did not receive proper funding until the 1840s. Extensive restoration work was carried out from 1842 under the direction of the architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner, and work also began on the reconstruction of the north tower, which had collapsed in the 18th century. The interior of the cathedral was consecrated in 1848, and the nave was completed and the towers were added. The bells were installed in the 1870s.

The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event on 15 October 1880, 632 years after construction had begun. At a height of 157 metres, it was the tallest building in the world at the time. The cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and the second tallest church in Europe.

Architectural design

The construction of Cologne Cathedral, a High Gothic five-aisled basilica, began in 1248 and was completed in 1880, taking several stages and more than six centuries to finish the project. The cathedral is a testament to the enduring strength of European Christianity and is considered an "exceptional work of human creative genius".

The ground plan design of Cologne Cathedral was based on that of Amiens Cathedral. The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is typical with Gothic cathedrals. It has two aisles on either side, supporting one of the highest Gothic vaults in the world. Externally, the outward thrust of the vault is taken up by French-style flying buttresses. The eastern end has a single ambulatory, with the second aisle leading to a chevet of seven radiating chapels.

The interior of the medieval choir is more varied and less mechanical in its details than the 19th-century building. It presents a French-style arrangement of a very tall arcade, a delicate narrow triforium gallery lit by windows and detailed tracery merging with those of the windows above. The clerestory windows are tall and retain some old figurative glass in the lower sections. Tall shafts sweep unbroken from the floor to their capitals at the spring of the vault. The vault is of plain quadripartite arrangement.

The cathedral's main west façade is the largest church façade in the world, flanked by two towers that stand at 157 metres (515 feet) tall. The exterior is decorated with statues, bar tracery, pinnacles, gargoyles, and flying buttresses. The oldest doorway is the Petersportal, built between 1370 and 1380, and adorned with statues created by the Parler family.

The cathedral's interior has the world's third-largest church interior. It is enhanced by many 19th-century stained-glass windows, including the "Bayernfenster", a set of five windows on the south side gifted by Ludwig I of Bavaria. The arcade, gallery, and clerestory of the east end are also notable features.

The cathedral's treasures include the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century and considered the largest reliquary in the Western world. It is believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men and 2,000-year-old clothes. Another treasure is the Gero-Kreuz, a large crucifix carved in oak, considered the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps. In the Sacrament Chapel is the Mailänder Madonna ("Milan Madonna"), a wooden sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, dating from around 1290.

Artworks and relics

The artworks and relics of Cologne Cathedral are extensive and varied. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The most celebrated relic is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded and decorated triple sarcophagus situated behind the high altar. It is considered the high point of Mosan art and one of the largest reliquaries in the Western world. The shrine was built to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men. It is adorned with intricate decorations that narrate the stories of the three Magi, the Virgin Mary, and the life of Christ. The shrine was designed by the famous medieval goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun and constructed between 1180 and 1225.

The high altar itself is also a significant artwork, featuring a monolithic slab of black limestone, believed to be the largest in any Christian church.

The Gero Crucifix, located in the Chapel of the Holy Cross, is the cathedral's oldest artwork. This large oak crucifix, with traces of paint and gilding, is believed to date from around 960. It was commissioned for Archbishop Gero and is the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps.

The altarpiece in the Lady Chapel (on the south wall of the choir) is a triptych entitled The Adoration of the Magi (c. 1445). It was painted by Stefan Lochner, one of the outstanding painters of the Cologne school.

The cathedral's oldest stained-glass windows date back to the 13th century. A more modern addition is the immense stained-glass window by the Cologne-based artist Gerhard Richter, installed in 2007. It is composed of more than 11,000 panes of coloured glass in 72 solid colours, arranged seemingly at random.

The cathedral treasury is one of the biggest and richest in Germany. It houses chalices, monstrances, reliquaries, liturgical vestments, manuscripts, silk materials from the relics of the Three Kings, and other precious objects, including early examples of Christian art. Notable items include the legendary crosier of St Peter (10th–16th centuries) and the Shrine of the Cross of Cologne, an early 12th-century Byzantine triptych containing a fragment of the True Cross.

World Heritage status

Cologne Cathedral, officially known as Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus (Cathedral Church of Saint Peter), is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

The construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages over seven centuries. The building of the cathedral began in 1248 but was halted around 1560. Attempts to complete the construction began in the 1810s, but the project was not properly funded until the 1840s. The edifice was finally completed in 1880, adhering absolutely to the original medieval plan.

The cathedral is a High Gothic five-aisled basilica with a projecting transept and a tower façade. The nave is 43.58m high, and the side aisles are 19.80m. The western section, nave and transept, begun in 1330, changes in style, but this is not perceptible in the overall building. The 19th-century work faithfully follows the medieval forms and techniques.

The original liturgical appointments of the choir are still largely intact. These include the high altar, believed to be the largest monolithic slab of black limestone in any Christian church, the carved oak choir stalls, the painted choir screens, the fourteen statues on the pillars in the choir, and the great cycle of stained-glass windows, the largest existent cycle of early 14th-century windows in Europe.

Cologne Cathedral contains many artistic masterpieces, including the Gero Crucifix of the late 10th century, and the Shrine of the Magi (1180-1225), the largest reliquary shrine in Europe. Other artistic masterpieces include the altarpiece of St Clare (c. 1350-1400) in the north aisle, the altarpiece of the City Patrons by Stephan Lochner (c. 1445) in the Chapel of Our Lady, and the altarpiece of St Agilolphus (c. 1520) in the south transept.

Cologne Cathedral is an exceptional work of human creative genius and has been constructed with an unwavering spirit of fidelity to the original plans. It is a powerful testimony to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

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