Cologne Cathedral, A Gothic Gem

There are no less than 29 cathedrals in Germany. Among all of them stands out, for its beauty and its impressive dimensions, the one that rises towards the sky in the fourth largest city in the country. Few adjectives serve to describe Cologne Cathedral, because it is truly magnificent.

Cologne, located on the banks of the Rhine, is a city with only one million inhabitants. A city in which there are two things that draw powerfully attention: the enormous number of padlocks that cram the gates of its bridges as a symbol of eternal love between couples in love and its imposing Gothic cathedral.

The temple, under the name of San Pedro and Santa María, is located in the heart of the city. It has two impressive towers thanks to which it held the record for being the tallest building in the world for many years.

Some details of its construction

The Cologne Cathedral has the highest steeple in Germany. With its 157 meters high it is impossible for this majestic construction to go unnoticed.

This particular piece of architecture began to be built in 1248 on the floor of an existing church. However, the works were not very agile, since the temple was not finished until the end of the 19th century.

But the delay was worth it. And it is that the entire sanctuary was raised with an exquisite harmony that makes it a great work of Gothic style with French influence.

Inside, between the four aisles, there is a narrow and wide central pavilion that draws the visitor’s attention as soon as they enter. On the outside, the buttresses or abutments crowned by gigantic pinnacles stand out, which together with the flying buttresses of the vault support the titanic weight of this fantastic cathedral.

The most enthusiastic can access its wonderful viewpoint. Of course, they must be in good physical shape, since they will have to ascend almost 100 meters through a steep staircase. The reward is a beautiful view of the city that is offered from there.

A little history

In the middle of the 12th century, Cologne suffered a horrible fire that caused serious damage to the basilica. Its reconstruction fell on the shoulders of Reynaldo de Dassel.

Legends state that shortly after the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa gave him the remains of the three Wise Men, with whom he had taken in Milan. For all this, to this day, rumors still affirm that Saint Peter and Saint Mary were raised solely for the purpose of housing such sacred relics.

It was Felipe de Heinsberg who ordered the creation of a reliquary at the height of such treasures to several renowned artists, among which the incredible goldsmith Nicolás de Verdum stands out. Since then the skulls of the supposed Three Wise Men have been found in an enormous chest made of gold and silver covered with velvet. This makes the ensemble the most valued medieval handicraft work in the world.

Another of the best preserved assets and prides of this cathedral is the Ongelusglocke bell, the largest bell on the planet that only rings on certain special occasions.

Cologne Cathedral during World War II

During World War II the Cologne Cathedral was bombed by the allied army on numerous occasions. As a result numerous parts were considerably damaged, particularly the stained glass. This was caused by the intensity of the vibrations caused by the impacts.

Likewise, some of its vaults were also affected by the attacks. And we cannot forget either the base of the tower located on the left side of the church, which was also seriously affected and left unrepaired for many years.

It is said that a total of 14 bombs fell on this extraordinary temple  and that it only managed to stay on its feet thanks to some kind of miracle. Since that time, the basilica has been restored several times. It was in 1945 when the area for the choir began to be remodeled and almost ten years later the works began on the outside.

The repair and maintenance work does not stop and thanks to them today we can see this marvelous Gothic work in all its splendor.