Cologne Cathedral: A Scaffolding-Free Year For Visitors And Locals

The Cologne Cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. Construction began in 1248 and was completed in 1880. The cathedral is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year. It is rarely free of scaffolding as wind, rain, and pollution slowly eat away at the stones. The cathedral's master builder, Barbara Schock-Werner, said: Cologne Cathedral without scaffolding is not a pipe dream, but a nightmare. It would mean that we would no longer be able to afford the cathedral. The cathedral is constantly under construction, with some parts always covered by scaffolding.

The history of the Cologne Cathedral's construction

The construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248, and it was built in the Gothic style, emulating the French church architecture of the time. 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.

The choir was completed in the 14th century and was consecrated in 1322. Construction continued until the 16th century, with the south tower's foundation laid in 1360, and two bells, Pretiosa and Speciosa, cast in 1448/49. However, work was then interrupted due to the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War, and there was a break of over 300 years before construction resumed in the 19th century.

Under the direction of architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner, restoration work began in 1842, and the cathedral's interior was consecrated in 1848. The bells were installed in the 1870s, and the completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880, with Emperor Wilhelm I in attendance.

The cathedral suffered damage during World War II, sustaining 14 hits by aerial bombs. Repairs were completed in 1956, and in the late 20th century, work began to repair the effects of acid rain on the stonework.

The cathedral's architectural design and features

The Cologne Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece, renowned for its architectural design and intricate details. The construction of this cathedral began in 1248 and was completed in 1880, taking over six centuries to finish. The cathedral is 144.5 metres long, 84 metres wide, and has a window surface area of 10,000 square metres. It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world at 157 metres, with the second-tallest spires after the Ulm Minster.

The cathedral's design follows the Rayonnant Gothic style, with repeating forms and extremely steep gables covered in blind tracery. The spires unify the complex structure, giving it a sense of elegance and grandeur. The plan of the cathedral is in the shape of a Latin Cross, with two aisles on either side supporting one of the highest Gothic vaults ever constructed. The eastern end features a single ambulatory, with the second aisle resolving into seven radiating chapels.

The exterior of the cathedral is adorned with extravagant tracery, flying buttresses, stone sculptures, pinnacles, and lofty porticos. The interior, on the other hand, showcases a variety of artistic styles. The medieval choir has a tall arcade, a narrow triforium gallery lit by windows, and tall clerestory windows with some original stained glass in the lower sections. The vault has a plain quadripartite arrangement, with tall shafts sweeping unbroken from the floor to the capitals at the spring of the vault.

One of the most notable features of the cathedral is its High Altar, made of black marble with a monolithic slab measuring 4.6 metres in length. The front and sides are adorned with white marble niches depicting religious scenes such as the Coronation of the Virgin. The cathedral also houses several significant works of art, including the Shrine of the Three Kings, the Gero Cross, and the Mailander Madonna.

The Cologne Cathedral is a testament to the enduring strength of European Christianity and the skill of its builders, who remained faithful to the original plans over centuries of construction.

The cathedral's religious significance

The Cologne Cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996 and is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year.

The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and features immense twin towers that stand 515 feet (157 metres) tall. The site of the Cologne Cathedral has been occupied by Christian churches since about the 4th century.

The cathedral's construction began in 1248 but was halted in the years around 1560. Attempts to complete the construction began around 1814, but the project was not properly funded until the 1840s. The edifice was completed to its original medieval plan in 1880. The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world.

The cathedral's long construction history is a testament to the continuity and persistence of the Christian belief in the region. The cathedral is a symbol of unity and a powerful testament to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.

The cathedral houses several important religious relics and artworks, including the Shrine of the Three Kings, which holds the remains of the Three Wise Men. The shrine is considered one of the most sophisticated goldsmith's works of the Middle Ages. Other notable artworks include the Gero Crucifix, the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps, and the Mailänder Madonna, a high Gothic carving depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus.

The cathedral is also known for its impressive stained-glass windows, including modern works by Gerhard Richter, which consist of thousands of coloured glass panes arranged in a seemingly random pattern.

The Cologne Cathedral is a significant religious site, not only for the region but also for all of Northern Europe. Its long history, architectural grandeur, and important religious relics make it a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike.

The cathedral's maintenance and restoration work

The Cologne Cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. Construction began in 1248 but was halted in the years around 1560. Attempts to complete the construction began around 1814, but the project was not properly funded until the 1840s. The edifice was completed to its original medieval plan in 1880.

The cathedral has been standing for 700 years and has required constant maintenance and restoration work. The Cologne Cathedral Builders' Works (Kölner Dombauhütte), the cathedral's construction team, is tasked with preserving the Gothic cathedral for posterity. The cathedral's master builder, Barbara Schock-Werner, said: "Cologne Cathedral without scaffolding is not a pipe dream, but a nightmare. It would mean that we would no longer be able to afford the cathedral."

The cathedral is built from different types of rock, which weather to varying degrees due to their characteristics. The filigree buttresses and arches are exposed to the weather from all sides and are attacked by water, the sulphur content of the air, and bird droppings. Especially from the 1960s onwards, acid rain severely affected the stones and turned them black. It was only from the 1990s onwards that air pollution control measures reduced the level of pollution.

The Schlaitdorf sandstone, which was used from 1842 onwards for the transept facades and the upper parts of the nave and transept, shows the most intensive weathering and is, therefore, constantly being renewed. Until the 1980s, it was preferably replaced with Londorf basalt lava, which is considered very weather-resistant, but since the 1990s, cathedral master builders have endeavoured to carry out the restoration with stones that come as close as possible to the original sandstone.

The cathedral works (Dombauhütte) has tested numerous means of preserving the stones. A convincing method has not yet been found. In addition, the iron anchors and dowels that hold the many parts of the architectural decoration are beginning to rust and need to be replaced with steel parts.

Regular renovation work is also required due to sporadic earthquake damage. For example, during the 1992 Roermond earthquake, the 400kg finial on the eastern pinnacle of the southern transept gable broke off, smashed through the roof, and damaged the roof truss. Four other finials were loosened.

The Cologne Cathedral is constantly under construction. Some parts of the cathedral are always covered by scaffolding. In 2013, a huge crane removed 25 metres of scaffolding from the northern tower of the cathedral. The scaffolding had been put up some 10 years earlier after a three-metre piece of stone had fallen from the tower. For that reason, all the iron and metal parts have been replaced with stainless steel.

In 2021, a remote-controlled drone took 200,000 high-resolution photos of all parts of the facade from a distance of five to seven metres and assembled them into a digital 3D model of the cathedral, which offers a very accurate representation with 25 billion polygons. This makes it possible to precisely document the current condition and the need for conservation and restoration, even in remote areas. The 3D model has a size of 50 gigabytes. The cost of creating the model was in the six-figure range.

The cathedral's status as a World Heritage Site

The Cologne Cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

The cathedral is a testament to the enduring strength of European Christianity. Construction began in 1248 but was halted around 1560, remaining unfinished for almost 300 years. It was eventually completed in 1880, with builders over seven centuries inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. The cathedral is unified as a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value and a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.

The cathedral is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting around 6 million visitors annually. It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe, and the third tallest church of any kind in the world. The towers give the cathedral the largest façade of any church globally. The cathedral's spires are entirely Germanic in character, openwork like those of Ulm, Vienna, Strasbourg, and Regensburg Cathedrals.

The cathedral is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Mary, housing the relics of the Three Kings, which were transferred from Milan to Cologne in the 12th century. The cathedral also contains priceless artefacts, including St. Peter's reliquary and chain, and the Gero Cross, the oldest intact life-size crucifix in the western world.

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