Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral | |
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The Cathedral of St. Peter | |
| |
Cologne | |
Clergy | |
Provost | Guido Assmann[2] |
Vice-provost | Robert Kleine |
Vicar(s) | Jörg Stockem |
Laity | |
Director of music | Eberhard Metternich |
Organist(s) | Winfried Bönig[3] |
Organ scholar | Ulrich Brüggemann |
Building details | |
Record height | |
Tallest in the world from 1880 to 1890[I] | |
Preceded by | Rouen Cathedral |
Surpassed by | Ulm Minster |
Height | |
Antenna spire | 157.4 m (516 ft) |
Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iv |
Reference | 292 |
Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
Endangered | 2004–06 |
Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, pronounced
Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was halted in the years around 1560,[8] unfinished. 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.[9] The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world.
Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit for its role as a place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral 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".[5] In Cologne, only the telecommunications tower is higher than the cathedral.[4]
History
Ancient site
When construction began on the present Cologne Cathedral in 1248 with the laying of a foundation stone, the site had already been occupied by several previous structures. The earliest may have been for grain storage and possibly was succeeded by a Roman temple of Mercurius Augustus.[10] From the 4th century on, however, the site was occupied by Christian buildings, including a square edifice known as the "oldest cathedral" that was commissioned by Maternus, the first bishop of Cologne. A free-standing baptistery dating back to the 7th century was located at the east end of the present cathedral but was demolished in the 9th century to build the second cathedral. During excavations of the present cathedral, graves were discovered in the location of the oldest portion of the building; including that of a boy that was richly adorned with grave goods and another of a woman, popularly thought to be Wisigard. Both graves are thought to be from the 6th century. Only ruins of the baptistery and the octagonal baptismal font remain today.[citation needed]
The second church, called the "Old Cathedral", was completed in 818. It was destroyed by fire on 30 April 1248, during demolition work to prepare for a new cathedral.[11]
Medieval beginning
In 1164, the
The
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The unfinished cathedral in 1820, engraved by Henry Winkles. The huge crane on the tower of the cathedral is visible in the picture.
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The unfinished cathedral in 1855. The medieval crane was still in place, while constructions for the nave had been resumed earlier in 1814.
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The unfinished cathedral in 1856. The east end had been finished and roofed, while other parts of the building are in various stages of construction.
19th-century completion
With the 19th-century
Work resumed in 1842 to the original design of the surviving medieval plans and drawings, but using more modern construction techniques, including iron roof
The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event on 15 October 1880, 632 years after construction had begun.
World War II and post-war history
The cathedral suffered fourteen hits by aerial bombs during World War II. Badly damaged, it nevertheless remained standing in an otherwise completely flattened city. The twin spires were an easily recognizable navigational landmark for Allied aircraft bombing.[18]
On 6 March 1945, an area west of the cathedral (Marzellenstrasse/Trankgasse) was the site of intense combat between American tanks of the
Repairs of the war damage were completed in 1956. A repair to part of the northwest tower, carried out in 1944 using poor-quality brick taken from a nearby ruined building, remained visible as a reminder of the war until 2005, when it was restored to its original appearance.
To investigate whether the bombings had damaged the foundations of the Dom, archaeological excavations began in 1946 under the leadership of Otto Doppelfeld and were concluded in 1997. One of the most meaningful excavations of churches, they revealed previously unknown details of earlier buildings on the site.[19]
Repair and maintenance work is constantly being carried out in the building, which is rarely free of scaffolding, as wind, rain, and pollution slowly eat away at the stones. The Dombauhütte, established to build the cathedral and keep it in repair, employs skilled stonemasons for the purpose. Half the costs of repair and maintenance are still borne by the
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The west front of the completed cathedral in 1911
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US soldier and destroyed Panther tank, 4 April 1945
21st century
On 18 August 2005,
On 25 August 2007, the cathedral received a
World Heritage Site
In 1996, the cathedral was added to the
As a World Heritage Site and host to the Shrine of the Three Kings, Cologne Cathedral is a major attraction for tourists and pilgrims, and is one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites of Northern Europe.[27] Visitors can climb 533 stone steps of the spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 100 m (330 ft) above the ground.[28] The platform gives a scenic view over the Rhine.
Ongoing conservation at the cathedral is addressing the black discolouration caused by the sandstone reacting with sulfuric acid during rainfall. The acidic rain is a consequence of air pollution.[29]
St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. was modeled after the cathedral.[30]
Architecture
The ground plan design of Cologne Cathedral was based closely on that of
Internally, the medieval choir 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 whole is united by the tall shafts that sweep unbroken from the floor to their capitals at the spring of the vault. The vault is of plain quadripartite arrangement.
The choir retains a great many of its original fittings, including the carved stalls, despite French Revolutionary troops having desecrated the building. A large stone statue of
The nave has many 19th century stained glass windows. A set of five on the south side, called the Bayernfenster, were a gift from Ludwig I of Bavaria, and strongly represent the painterly German style of the time.
Externally, particularly from a distance, the building is dominated by its huge spires, which are entirely Germanic in character, being openwork like those of
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An aerial view shows the cruciform plan.
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The cathedral from the south
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The exterior of one of the spires
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The main entrance shows the 19th century decoration.
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The flying buttresses and pinnacles of the Medieval east end
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The nave looking east
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Interior of the Medieval east end, showing the extreme height
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This "swallows' nest" organ was built into the gallery in 1998 to celebrate the cathedral's 750 years.
Dimensions
External length | 144.58 m (474.3 ft) |
External width | 86.25 m (283.0 ft) |
Width of west façade | 61.54 m (201.9 ft) |
Width of transept façade | 39.95 m (131.1 ft) |
Width of nave (with aisles, interior) | 45.19 m (148.3 ft) |
Height of southern tower | 157.31 m (516.1 ft) |
Height of northern tower | 157.38 m (516.3 ft) |
Height of ridge turret | 109.00 m (357.61 ft) |
Height of transept façades | 69.95 m (229.5 ft) |
Height of roof ridge | 61.10 m (200.5 ft) |
Inner height of nave | 43.35 m (142.2 ft) |
Height of side aisles | 18 m (59 ft) |
Building area | 7,914 m2 (85,185.59 sq ft) |
Window surface area | 10,000 m2 (107,639.10 sq ft) |
Roof surface area | 12,000 m2 (129,166.93 sq ft) |
Gross volume without buttresses | 407,000 m3 (14,400,000 cu ft) |
Treasures
One of the treasures of the cathedral is the high altar, which was installed in 1322. It is constructed of black marble, with a solid slab 15 ft (4.6 m) long forming the top. The front and sides are overlaid with white marble niches into which are set figures, with the Coronation of the Virgin at the centre.[32]
The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the
Near the
In the Sacrament Chapel is the Mailänder Madonna ("Milan Madonna"), a high Gothic carving, depicting the Blessed Virgin and the infant Jesus. It was made in the Cologne Cathedral workshop sometime around 1290 as a replacement for the original which was lost in a fire. The altar of the patron saints of Cologne with an altarpiece by the International Gothic painter Stefan Lochner is in the Marienkapelle ("St. Mary's Chapel").
After completion in 1265, the radiating chapels were immediately taken into service as a burial place. The relics of Saint Irmgardis found a final resting place in the St. Agnes' Chapel. Her trachyte sarcophagus is considered to be created by the cathedral masons' guild around 1280.[35] Other works of art are in the Cathedral Treasury.
Embedded in the interior wall are a pair of stone tablets on which are carved the provisions formulated by Archbishop Englebert II (1262–67) under which Jews were permitted to reside in Cologne.[36]
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TheCrucifix of Bishop Gero, 10th century, the oldest known large crucifix
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Medieval statue ofSt. Christopher
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TheDombild Altarpiece of the Three Kings by Stefan Lochner
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Petrus- und Wurzel Jesse-Fenster, 1509
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Anbetungs-Fenster, 1846
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Modern stained glass window by Gerhard Richter
Church music
Cologne Cathedral has two pipe organs by Klais Orgelbau: the Transept Organ, built in 1948, and the Nave Organ, built in 1998.[37] Cathedral organists have included Josef Zimmermann, Clemens Ganz (1985–2001) and Winfried Bönig (2001).
Bells
The cathedral has eleven church bells, four of which are medieval. The first was the 3.8-tonne Dreikönigsglocke ("Bell of the Three Kings"), cast in 1418, installed in 1437, and recast in 1880. Two of the other bells, the Pretiosa (10.5 tonnes; at that time the largest bell in the Western world) and the Speciosa (5.6 tonnes) were installed in 1448 and remain in place today.
During the 19th century, as the building neared completion, there was a desire to increase the number of bells. This was facilitated by Kaiser Wilhelm I who gave French bronze cannon, captured in 1870–71, for this purpose.[38] The 22 pieces of artillery were displayed outside the cathedral on 11 May 1872. Andreas Hamm in Frankenthal used them to cast a bell of over 27,000 kilos on 19 August 1873. The tone was not harmonious and another attempt was made on 13 November 1873. The Central Cathedral Association, which had agreed to take over the costs, did not want this bell either. Another attempt took place on 3 October 1874. The colossal bell was shipped to Cologne and on 13 May 1875, installed in the cathedral. This Kaiserglocke was eventually melted in 1918 to support the German war effort. The Kaiserglocke was the largest free-swinging bell in history.
The 24-tonne
On Thursday, 3 March 2022, landmark cathedrals across Europe chimed in unison "[…] in a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, as bystanders gathered to mourn those killed during Russia's invasion and pray for peace." The Kölner Dom was among them.[40]
Name | No | Mass | Note | Founder | Year |
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St. Peter's Bell (Dicker Pitter)
|
1 | 24,000 kg | C0 | Heinrich Ulrich, Apolda | 1923 |
Pretiosa | 2 | 10,500 kg | G1 | Heinrich Brodermann & Christian Cloit, Cologne | 1448 |
Speciosa | 3 | 5,600 kg | A1 | Johannes Hoerken de Vechel, Cologne | 1449 |
Dreikönigsglocke (Three Kings Bell) | 4 | 3,800 kg | H0 | Hermann Große, Dresden | 1880 |
St. Ursula's Bell (Ursulaglocke) | 5 | 2,500 kg | C1 | Joseph Beduwe, Aachen | 1862 |
St. Joseph's Bell (Josephglocke) | 6 | 2,200 kg | D2 | Hans Augustus Mark, Eifel Foundry, Brockscheid | 1998 |
Chapter Bell (Kapitelsglocke) | 7 | 1,400 kg | E2 | Karl I Otto, Bremen | 1911 |
Hail Bell (Aveglocke) | 8 | 830 kg | G2 | Karl I Otto, Bremen | 1911 |
Name | No | Weight | Note | Founder | Year |
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Angelusglocke | 9 | 762 | G♯2 | Unknown | 14th century |
Mettglocke | 10 | 280 | B2 | Antonius Cobelenz, Cologne | 1719 |
Wandlungsglocke | 11 | 428 | E3 | Unknown | 14th century |
See also
- Gothic cathedrals and churches
- List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe
- Architecture of cathedrals and great churches
- Gero Cross
- Gothic architecture
- Gothic Revival architecture
- List of buildings and structures
- List of highest church naves
- List of cathedrals in Germany
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
- Medievalism
Notes
- ^ Parts of the relics have since been returned to Milan.
References
- ^ a b c "Cologne Cathedral official website". Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Monsignore Guido Assmann wird neuer Dompropst" (in German). Erzbistum Köln. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Prof. Dr. Winfried Bönig" (in German). Kölner Dommusik. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Cologne Cathedral | Cologne Tourist Board". www.cologne-tourism.com. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Cologne Cathedral – UNESCO World Heritage". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Der Dom in Zahlen". www.koelner-dom.de. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "8 Tallest Cathedrals in the World". HISTRUCTURAL – SAHC. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ Leonard Ennen, Der Dom in Köln von seinem Beginne bis zu seiner Vollendung: Festschrift gewidmet den Freunden und Gönnern aus Anlass der Vollendung vom Verstande des Central-Dombauvereins [The cathedral in Cologne from its begin to its completion: Festschrift dedicated to the friends and patrons on the occasion of the completion of the understanding of the Central Cathedral Building Association], 1880, p. 79
- ^ a b "Cologne Cathedral". UNESCO World Heritage. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Pray Bober, Phyllis (1948). "Mercurius Arvernus". Marsyas – Studies in the History of Art. IV. New York: 29–32.
- ^ yitsadmin (19 June 2023). "Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany". Catholic Shrine Basilica. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ "The Cologne Cathedral". Cologne.de. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- ^ Wim Swaan
- ^ Wim Swaan gives the latest date as 1560, but a date of 1520 is considered more probable by other scholars.
- ISBN 978-0-521-81456-0.
- ^ Godwin, George, ed. (1881). The Builder. [s.n.] p. 419. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Robert (13 September 2017). "Cologne Cathedral". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "In the Ruins of Cologne". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ Klaus Gereon Beuckers: Der Kölner Dom, Darmstadt 2004, S. 113.
- ^ "Apostolic Journey to Cologne: Visit to the Cathedral of Cologne". 18 August 2005. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "Gerhard Richter digitalisiert Kölner Dom" [Gerhard Richter digitizes Cologne Cathedral]. Der Spiegel (in German). Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 25 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
- from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Germany Pegida protests: Rallies over 'Islamisation'". BBC News. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
In Cologne, the authorities switched off the lights of the city's cathedral as a way of warning Pegida supporters they were supporting 'extremists'. 'We don't think of it as a protest, but we would like to make the many conservative Christians [who support Pegida] think about what they are doing,' the dean of the cathedral, Norbert Feldhoff, told the BBC.
- ^ "World Heritage Committee sounds the alarm for Cologne Cathedral". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Cologne Cathedral on UNESCO Danger List". Deutsche Welle. 6 July 2004. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "UNESCO Removes Cologne Cathedral From Endangered List". Deutsche Welle. 11 July 2006. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Cologne Cathedral". The Complete Pilgrim – Religious Travel Sites. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Cathedral South Tower". www.cologne-tourism.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-471-89954-9.
- ^ Sankowski, Kelly (14 February 2019). "For 150 years, St. Joseph's Catholic Church has served as a place of refuge and unity on Capitol Hill". Catholic Standard. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ Wim Swaan,[page needed] Banister Fletcher[page needed]
- ^ Holladay, Joan. Iconography of the High Altar in Cologne Cathedral, (1989)[full citation needed]
- ^ "Art History". University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2005.
- ^ Howard Hubbard
- ^ Reiner Dieckhoff: Die mittelalterliche Ausstattung des Kölner Domes, in Arnold Wolff (ed.): Der gotische Dom in Köln; Vista Point Verlag, Köln 2008, p. 47.
- ^ Baron, Salo Wittmayer. A social and religious history of the Jews, 2nd Edition, Columbia University Press, 1965, p. 174.
- ^ "Kölner Dom, Cologne, Germany". tititudorancea.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "The Kaiser-Glocke at Cologne". The Argus. Melbourne, Vic. 12 June 1875. p. 10. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- centre of massrather than its top.
- ^ "Europe's cathedral bells ring out for peace in Ukraine". Reuters. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
Sources
- Swaan, Wim and Christopher Brooke, The Gothic Cathedral, Omega Books (1969), ISBN 0-907853-48-X
- Fletcher, Banister, A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method.
- Hubbard, Howard, Masterpieces of Western Sculpture, Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-23278-4
- Wolff, Arnold, Cologne Cathedral. Its History – Its Works of Arts, Verlag (editor) Kölner Dom, Cologne: 2nd edition 2003, ISBN 978-3-7743-0342-3