Today, Anna and I drove 90 minutes north and toured a little of one of the cultural centers of Germany, Köln (or Cologne in English). Downtown is one of the most famous (if not the most) architectural icons of the country, the Köln Dom (or Cathedral).
Inside is just as amazing.
Construction was begun in 1248, but the cathedral wasn’t finally completed until 1880 (that’s 632 years later!). In fact, for a while, its status had sunk so low it housed horses. However, during the mid-nineteenth century, a massive sum of money was raised to finish the cathedral. It was dedicated by Emperor Wilhelm I and briefly held the title of world’s largest building (until replaced by the Washington Monument in 1884, which you may recall was replaced in turn by the Eiffel Tower in 1889).
We toured the inside as the clergy were setting up for their next mass.
Inside there is also an important reliquary (or a container housing religious artifacts). In this case, it’s known as the Sarcophagus of the Magi, a gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century. In fact, the cathedral was built specifically to house these relics. What is inside? Well, it is believed that the remains of the three wise men (of Bethlehem fame) are held by this container. This has fostered pilgrimages to the cathedral. Interestingly, the Christian practice of honoring reliquaries wasn’t begun in the third century.
After we toured the magnificent Köln Dom, we moved next door to the Ludwig Museum (of 20th century art). Köln has over 30 museums, so whatever your interest, there’s probably a museum for it!
While we don’t have any images from the inside (cameras were forbidden), this is a statue outside of it.
Anna and I also strolled across the bridge and along the river.
We loved our little taste of the city and can’t wait to return (fortunately, it’s only a short drive away). So, until the next trip…
–Jim
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