The World Heritage listed, Kolner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) is one of the most recognizable pieces of grand and gothic German architecture. It houses one of the most significant religious relics, the Shrine of the Three Kings (commonly known of as the Three Wise Men who used astrological means to attend the birth of Jesus) which according to tradition contains their bones, interred there by the Holy Roman Emperor, Fredrick. The shrine is an ornately cast gold multi-tiered sarcophagus created in the 13th Century.

The dom also houses other important art works and relics including the Cross of Bishop Gero, a gilded carved oak sculpture produced in 970, a Medieval statue of St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers and the Mailander Madonna, a wooden carving of Mary and Jesus dating from the 13th Century.

Kolner Dom is also one of the world’s largest churches and it’s twin spired façade is the world’s largest church face. Much of it’s exterior, is carved into laced patterns, focusing especially around the entrances and the two spires.

Four of it’s twelve church bells date from the Medieval period, the largest more than ten tonnes in weight.

Dedicated to St. Peter and the Virgin Mary, the Dom took more than 600 years to erect. Prior to construction the site had been a place of Christian worship since the 4th Century. It’s built in the Latin cross shape common to gothic cathedrals, the two shorter aisles acting to structurally support one of the highest gothic vaults in the world also supported by external buttresses in the French gothic style.

The Kolner Dom is a very popular tourist destination, attracting people from it’s impressive mark on Cologne’s skyline, and charges an admission fee for those not attending a service. You can climb a spiral staircase to a viewing platform 100 meters high.

Written by  Kynan Wieltz.

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Comments, reviews and questions

Email address of Cologne Cathedral organist

Please, what is the email address of the Cologne Cathedral office. We visited it August and would like to email the cathedral organist. Thank you for your efforts and time.

 

Question posted 11th October 2009 by Barbara Shirley.

1 reply...

dompropstei[at]metropolitankapitel-koeln.de

 

Reply posted 11th October 2009 by World Reviewer Staff.

Cologne Cathedral

Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

Copyright © UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.

 

Review posted 7th December 2007 by World Reviewer Staff.

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