COLOGNE CATHEDRAL, GERMANY

THE COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS THE MOST VISITED LANDMARK IN GERMANY, ATTRACTING 20,000 VISITORS EVERY DAY.   CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1248 ANDHALTED IN 1473.   WORK RESTARTED IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND FINALLY COMPLETED IN 1880.  IT IS THE LARGEST GOTHIC CHURCH IN NORTHERN EUROPE AND BELIEVE ME AS YOU EXIT THE TRAIN STATION AND GLANCE OUT ONTO THE SQUARE, THE CHURCH LOOMS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC BEAST!   THE PHOTOGRAPHS DON'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB SHOWING THE SCALE OF IT BUT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL TAKE MY WORD .

A LITTLE IDEA OF THE SCALE.

THE CATHEDRAL WAS NEEDED TO HOUSE THE REMAINS OF THE THREE KINGS WHICH WERE BROUGHT BACK FROM THE CONQUERED CITY OF MILAN.  THE RELICS MADE THE CATHEDRAL ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PILGRIMAGE DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE.  CONSTRUCTION WAS HALTED IN THE 1600s DUE TO FINANCIAL ISSUES AS WELL AS A LACK OF INTEREST.   FOR 300 YEARS IT WAS A LARGE BUILDING WITH ONE TOWER COMPLETE, A SECOND TOWER UNFINISHED.  INTEREST WAS HIGH IN THE EARLY 1800s AND WORK BEGAN AGAIN IN 1842 AND WAS SPEEDILY FINISHED IN 38 YEARS.

THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE DURING WORLD WAR II HOWEVER IT WAS SURPRISINGLY LITTLE RELATIVE TO THE OVERALL FLATTENING OF THE REST OF COLOGNE.  TODAY WEATHER AND THE ENVIRONMENT ARE IT'S BIGGEST ENEMY.  THERE ARE 80 STONEMASONS AND SPECIALISTS WORKING ON THE BUILDING CONSTANTLY TO KEEP UP WITH THE RENOVATIONS.

POST WWII COLOGNE.   UNBELIEVABLE DESTRUCTION.

PIECES OF THE EXTERIOR THAT WERE EITHER REMOVED OR FELL DURING THE WAR