Cologne Cathedral, 1945.

Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

realmedieval said: If I recall correctly, I’ve seen articles lately stating that this cathedral is again falling into disrepair.

Thanks for the comment! As for falling into disrepair, I wouldn’t be surprised, given the history of the cathedral. She is almost 900 years old, and for more than half those years, she stood without a roof to cover her. I imagine the rain, snow and ice getting into all the mortar and joints from the inside did their share of damage. Add to it the bombings in WW2, and I’m amazed she still stands at all. 

Then there’s always that pesky economy which often diverts money away from things deemed unnecessary, and I would think that a 900 year old church must be very money hungry to keep it looking good.

I was last there in 2009, and there was scaffolding in various spots on the exterior and in the interior. But, there has always been scaffolding there whenever I’ve been there. It was explained to me that if they calculated real age on the cathedral the way humans do medically, the real age of the Cathedral is thought to be twice its actual age - but only in its joints, compounds and mortars. I was told most of the stones are strong and weathering quite well, but they must constantly be vigilant to cracks and stresses that are still just beginning to show themselves. I was also told it’s a bit like a game of whack-a-mole; you fix one area and make it strong again, and the area adjacent to it begins to feel the stress more, therefore leading to a constant work in progress.

The picture above is one I took in 2009, showing one of the top pieces from one of the spires that was knocked off from a bomb. Except for losing the very top finial, it came down mostly intact, This is perhaps a good indication to the strength of the stones used? Anyone else know additional info?

Kölner Dom

She’s been through so much, this cathedral. 

Someone dreamed her up and began building her in 1248, even though they knew they would never see her finished.

Building stopped abruptly in 1473, leaving her open to the elements. She stood mute and silent for another four centuries for building to begin again.

Finally completed in 1880, (according to the originalplan!) she gleamed like a beacon along the Rhine for a mere sixty years - a blink of an eye in her life - until the bombs began falling in World War 2. She sustained numerous massive hits, yet remained standing while the rest of the city was leveled.

Repairs were completed in the 1950’s, and now the Cologne cathedral stands proud as a Unesco World Heritage site. 

Maybe my recent re-reading of The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End have wormed their way into my mind too much, but I can’t help but wonder … the person who dreamed this cathedral up and sketched it out in sand and on parchment? Do you think he dared to dream that his cathedral would still be standing in the twenty-first century? 

Sources - Wikimedia Commons

design-is-fine:

Cologne Cathedral, Germany. Construction began in 1248, was halted around 1560,  restarted in 1814 and was completed to its original medieval plan in 1880. The builders in the 14th century created a pastel light effect that remained unique among medieval churches. It is preserved in the cathedral choir to this day. The oldest window dates back to the 13th century, the most recent window was created in 2007 by Gerhard Richter. Source