Cologne Cathedral*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Germany
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Reference	292
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1996  (20th Session)
Endangered	2004-2006
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex These are thirty sites which the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include on a list of World Heritage Sites in danger; this list also shows the year The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Peter und Maria) is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of Gothic architecture and of the faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. Bishops and Archbishops of Cologne Bishops of Colonia Agrippina, 88–784 All names before Maternus ('II' are to be approached with considerable Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary

The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, being one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius". A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[1] Cologne Cathedral is one of the world's largest churches, being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument followed by the Eiffel Tower. The Washington Monument is a large tall sand-colored Obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington D The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Cathedral, completed ten years later in 1890. A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building particularly a church Tower. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world.

The choir of Cologne Cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3. 6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault. ^[2]

Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete – a period of over six hundred years. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year It is 144. 5 metres long, 86. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall. ^[3]

Cologne Cathedral, despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, eventually became 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",^[1] as was befitting a worship-place of the Holy Roman Emperor and the traditional shrine of the Three Kings. The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here

History

The Altarpiece of the Three Kings by Stephan Lochner. "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here

Ancient site

When the present Cologne Cathedral was commenced in 1248, the site had been occupied by several previous structures, the earliest of which may have been a grain store, perhaps succeeded by a Roman temple built by Mercurius Augustus. Fanum At the temples Romans prayed and made Ritual Worship Offerings of a small gift or Animal sacrifices to their Roman From the 4th century the site was occupied by Christian buildings including a square edifice known as the "oldest cathedral" and commissioned by Maternus, the first Christian bishop of Cologne. Saint Maternus of Milan was Bishop of Milan. Maternus, also known as St A second church, the so-called "Old Cathedral", was completed in 818. This burned down on April 30, 1248. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule

The massive facade was left incomplete for 400 years.

Medieval beginning

In 1164, the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel had acquired relics of the Three Kings which had been taken from Milan in Italy by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Rainald of Dassel (c 1120 &ndash August 14, 1167 near Rome) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1159 to 1167 and Archchancellor of "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Frederick I Barbarossa (1122 &ndash 10 June 1190) was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned The relics had great religious significance and could be counted upon to draw pilgrims from all over Christendom. Christendom usually refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon It was important that they were properly housed. The loss of the old five-aisled cathedral prompted a building program in the new style of Gothic architecture based in particular on the French Cathedral of Amiens. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in

The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Konrad von Hochstaden or Conrad of Hochstadt (1198/1205 &ndash September 18, 1261) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1238 to 1261 The eastern arm was completed under the direction of Master Gerhard, was consecrated in 1322 and sealed off by a temporary wall so it could be in use as the work proceeded.

In the mid 14th century work on the west front commenced under Master Michael. This work halted in 1473 leaving the south tower complete up to the belfry level and crowned with a huge crane which was destined to remain in place, and the landmark of Cologne for 400 years. ^[4]

Some work proceeded intermittently on the structure of the nave between the west front and the eastern arm but during the 16th century, this ceased. ^[5]

The Cathedral in 1856 showing the unfinished South Tower with its ancient crane, the Gothic eastern end and south transept.

19th century completion

With the nineteenth century romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and spurred on by the lucky discovery of the original plan for the facade, it was decided, with the commitment of the Prussian Court, to complete the cathedral. For the general context see Romanticism. In the Philosophy, Art, and Culture of German -speaking countries German Romanticism Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state It was achieved by civic effort, the Central-Dombauverein, founded in 1842, raised two thirds of the enormous costs (over US$ 1 billion in today's money), while the Prussian state supplied the remaining third. Zentral-Dombauverein zu Köln von 1842 (Central Cathedral Building Society of 1842 formerly "Central-" abbreviated ZDV, is one of the oldest and once largest

Work resumed in 1842 to the original design of the surviving medieval plans and drawings, but utilising more modern construction techniques including iron roof girders. The nave was completed and the towers were added.

The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880, 632 years after construction had begun. The celebration was attended by Emperor Wilhelm I.

An American soldier and a destroyed Panther tank in front of the cathedral on 4 April 1945. The Panther ( was a Tank fielded by Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945 Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

World War II and post-war history

The cathedral suffered fourteen hits by aerial bombs during World War II. The City of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including It did not at all collapse, but stood tall in an otherwise flattened city. Believers said it was divine intervention. The truth is however more prosaic. In a world without GPS, the tall building was perfect for allied aircraft to use as a landmark from which to calculate bearings to other bomb targets in Germany and southern Europe, and thus was left intact for pilots of future missions use as reference points.

The repairs to the building were completed in 1956. In the northwest tower's base, an emergency repair carried out with bad-quality brick taken from a nearby war ruin (see German Wikipedia "Kölner Domplombe") remained visible until the late 1990s as a reminder of the War, but then it was decided to reconstruct this section according to the original appearance.

Some repair and maintenance work is almost constantly being carried out in some section of the building, which is almost never completely free of scaffolding, since wind, rain, and pollution slowly eat away at the stones. The Dombauhütte, which was established to build the cathedral and repair the cathedral, is said to employ the best stonemasons of the Rhineland. There is a common joke in Cologne that the leader of the Dombauhütte, the Dombaumeister (master builder of the cathedral), has to be Catholic and free from giddiness. The current Dombaumeisterin is Barbara Schock-Werner. Half of the costs of repair and maintenance are still borne by the Dombauverein. Zentral-Dombauverein zu Köln von 1842 (Central Cathedral Building Society of 1842 formerly "Central-" abbreviated ZDV, is one of the oldest and once largest

On August 25, 2007, the cathedral received a new stained glass in the south transept window. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. With 113 square metres of glass, the window was created by the German artist Gerhard Richter. Gerhard Richter (born February 9, 1932) is a German Artist It is composed of 11,500 identically sized pieces of coloured glass resembling pixels, randomly arranged by computer, which create a colorful "carpet". In Digital imaging, a pixel ( pict ure el ement is the smallest piece of information in an image Since the loss of the original window in World War II, the space had been temporarily filled with plain glass. ^[6] The archbishop of the cathedral, Joachim Cardinal Meissner, who had preferred a figurative depiction of 20th-century Catholic martyrs for the window, did not attend the unveiling. Joachim Meisner (born 25 December 1933 in Wrocław (Breslau, Lower Silesia) is a Cardinal priest and Archbishop of Cologne ^[7]

Cologne Cathedral across the Rhine.

World Heritage Site

In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex In 2004 it was placed on the "World Heritage in Danger" list due to nearby high-rise building and its visual impact upon the site, as the only Western site in danger. The cathedral was removed from the List of In Danger Sites in 2006, following the authorities' decision to limit the heights of buildings constructed near and around the cathedral.

As a World Heritage Site, and with its convenient position on tourist routes, Cologne Cathedral is a major tourist attraction, the visitors including many who travel there as a Christian pilgrimage.

World Youth Day 2005: there were nearly 1 million visitors. The 20th World Youth Day 2005 (XX Weltjugendtag Köln was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21,

The cathedral is open every day from 6. 00am to 7. 30pm; admission is free except for tower ascent and the treasury. Visitors can climb 509 steps of the spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground.

On May 12, 2001, the American rock band R.E.M. performed a free concert in Roncalliplatz, the square to the south side of Cologne Cathedral. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar The concert was organised to promote the eradication of violence in schools, and was in part broadcast live on MTV Europe.

On August 18, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI visited the cathedral as part of his apostolic visit to Germany as part of World Youth Day 2005 festivities. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger The 20th World Youth Day 2005 (XX Weltjugendtag Köln was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, An estimated 1 million pilgrims visited the cathedral during this time. Also as part of the events of World Youth Day, Cologne Cathedral hosted a televised gala performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir conducted by Sir Gilbert Levine. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Missa solemnis in D Major Op 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( RPO) is a British Orchestra based in London. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Gilbert Levine (b

The nave looking east.

Architecture

The design of Cologne Cathedral was based quite closely on that of Amiens Cathedral in terms of groundplan, style and the width to height proportion of the central nave. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is usual with Gothic cathedrals. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. It has two aisles on either side, which help to support one of the very highest Gothic vaults in the world, being nearly as tall as that of the ill-fated Beauvais Cathedral, much of which collapsed. Externally the outward thrust of the vault is taken up by flying buttresses in the French manner. The eastern end has a single ambulatory, the second aisle resolving into a chevette of seven radiating chapels.

Internally, the Medieval quire is more varied and less mechanical in its details than the 19th century building. It presents a French style arrangement of very tall arcade, a delicate narrow triforium gallery lit by windows and with detailed tracery merging with that of the windows above. The clerestory windows are tall and retain some old figurative glass in the lower sections.

The arcade, gallery and clerestory of the east end.

The whole is united by the tall shafts which sweep unbroken from floor to their capitals at the spring of the vault. The vault is of plain quadripartite arrangement.

The quire retains a great many of its original fittings, including the carved stalls, which is made the more surprising by the fact that Napoleon's troops had desecrated the building. A large stone statue of St Christopher looks down towards the place where the earlier entrance to the cathedral was, before its completion in the late 19th century. Saint Christopher ( Greek: Άγιος Χριστόφορος) is a Saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians

The nave is enhanced by a good many 19th century stained-glass windows including a set of five on the south side called the "Bayernfenster" which were a gift from Ludwig I of Bavaria, a set highly representative of the painterly German style of that date. Ludwig I (also rendered in English as Louis I) ( August 25 1786 in Strasbourg &ndash February 29, 1868 in Nice

Externally, particularly from a distance, the building is dominated by its huge spires which are entirely Germanic in character, being openwork like those of Ulm, Vienna and Regensburg Cathedrals. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Dimensions History The building An unusual feature of Regensburg Cathedral is its separation from the structure of the older Cloister ^[8]

Treasures of Cologne Cathedral

The Shrine of the Three Kings.

The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century, and the largest reliquary in the Western world. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone A reliquary (also referred to as a Shrine or by the French term Chasse) is a container for Relics These may be the physical It is traditionally believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men, whose bones and 2,000-year-old clothes were discovered at the opening of the shrine in 1864. "Three Kings" or "Three Wise Men" redirects here

The Crucifix of Bishop Gero, a unique 10th century sculpture.

Near the sacristy is the Gero-Kreuz,[2] a large crucifix carved in oak and with traces of paint and gilding. A sacristy is a room for keeping Vestments (such as the Cassock and Chasuble) and other church furnishings sacred vessels and parish records Believed to have been commissioned around 960 for Archbishop Gero, it is the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps and the earliest-known large free-standing Northern sculpture of the medieval period. ^[9]

In the Sacrament Chapel, is the Mailänder Madonna ("Milan Madonna"), dating from around 1290, a wooden sculpture depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The altar of the patron saints of Cologne with an altar piece by the International Gothic painter, Stephan Lochner is in the Marienkapelle ("St. International Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late Stefan Lochner ( Meersburg, 1400 &ndash Cologne, 1452 was a German late Gothic painter Mary's Chapel"). Other outstanding works of art are to be found in the Cathedral Treasury.

Bells

The cathedral has twelve church bells, of which four are Medieval. The first was the 3. 8-ton Dreikönigenglocke ("Bell of the Three Kings"), cast in 1418, installed in 1437, and recast in 1880. Two of the other bells, the Pretiosa (10. 5 tons; at that time the largest bell in the Occident) and the Speciosa (5. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings 6 tons) were installed in 1448 and remain in place today. The largest bell, the 24-ton St.  Petersglocke ("Bell of St.  Peter", "Dicke Pitter" in the Kölsch dialect), was cast in 1922 and is the largest free-swinging bell in the world. Kölsch (Colognian is a very closely related small set of Dialects or variants of the Ripuarian Central German group of languages ^[10] (See below: Gallery, Petersglocke)

• Consecration Bell - 0. 425 tonnes
• Vespers Bell - 0. 28 tonnes
• Angelus Bell - 0. 763 tonnes
• Hail Bell - 0. 83 tonnes
• Chapter Bell - 1. 4 tonnes
• St Joseph's Bell - 2. 2 tonnes
• Ursula Bell - 2. 55 tonnes
• Bell of the Magi - 3. 8 tonnes
• Pretiosia - 5. 6 tonnes
• Speciosia - 10. 5 tonnes
• Petersglocke - 24 tonnes

Church music

Organists

• Josef Zimmermann
• Clemens Ganz (1985–2001)
• Winfried Bönig (2001)

Dimensions

Parts of the cathedral

Groundplan. Clemens Ganz (born January 18 1935 in Nohfelden) is a German Organist. Winfried Bönig (born 1959 in Bamberg) is a German Organist. Bönig studied 1978–1984 at the Musikhochschule München with Franz Lehrndorfer

Gallery

A "Bird's eye view" of the Dom from the east shows the cruciform plan, the proportion of the spires to the building and the radiating buttresses of the east end. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here.	The north transept seen from Kölner Hauptbahnhof reveals the taller central space framed by lower aisles, spanned by flying buttresses.	The main entrance shows the brittle repetitive nature of the 19th century decoration.	The earlier carving around this entrance is lively.
The exterior of one of the Cathedral's spires	Inside a spire showing the openwork construction.	The flying buttresses and pinnacles of the East end.	Inside the roofspace steel girders rise above the stone vaulting.
This medieval statue of St. Christopher, Patron of Travellers, welcomes visitors to the Cathedral. Saint Christopher ( Greek: Άγιος Χριστόφορος) is a Saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians	The five windows on the South side were given by Ludwig I of Bavaria. Ludwig I (also rendered in English as Louis I) ( August 25 1786 in Strasbourg &ndash February 29, 1868 in Nice	Detail of a window showing the patrons of the Cathedral, St. Peter and the Virgin Mary.	A lightshow in the Cathedral. photo F. Feldhoffer.
Petersglocke Note person to right of bell clapper.	Cologne Cathedral floodlit.

See also

Kölner Dom
Kölner Dom was the world's tallest building from 1880 to 1890. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common *
Preceded by	Rouen Cathedral
Surpassed by	Ulmer Münster
Information
Location	Köln, Germany
Status	Complete
Constructed	1248-1880
Height
Antenna/Spire	157. Rouen Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is a Gothic Cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year 4 m (516 ft. )
Technical details
Floor count	n/a
*Fully habitable, self-supported, from main entrance to highest structural or architectural top; see the list of tallest buildings in the world for other listings. These are lists of Skyscrapers, ranked by structural height (vertical elevation from the base to the highest architectural or integral structural element of the

• List of buildings
• Middle Ages in history
• Gero Crucifix
• Gothic architecture
• Gothic revival
• Cathedral architecture of Western Europe
• List of highest church naves
• Performance by the US band R.E.M. at Cologne Cathedral

References

Bibliography

• Wim Swaan, The Gothic Cathedral, Omega Books (1969), ISBN 090785348X
• Banister Fletcher, A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method.
• Howard Hubbard, Masterpieces of Western Sculpture, Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0500232784
• Wolff, Arnold, Cologne Cathedral. Its History - Its Works of Arts, Verlag (editor) Kölner Dom, Cologne: 2nd edition 2003, ISBN 9783774303423

External links

• (English)(German) Cologne Cathedral Official website
• Cologne Cathedral and Pictures by GermanPlaces
• Satellite view of Cologne Cathedral at WikiMapia (Google maps + Wiki)
• http://whc.unesco.org/sites/292.htm
• (German) http://www.unesco.de/c_arbeitsgebiete/welterbe_d17.htm
• (German) http://www.wdr.de/domcam web cam showing the cathedral
• Cologne Cathedral in the Structurae database
• Cologne Cathedral at night from across the Rhine
• A photo essay on the Cologne Cathedral