Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne. A renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996 and is Germany's most visited landmark, drawing an average of six million people a year, and at 157 meters it is the tallest twin spired church in the world, the third tallest church in Europe after Sagrada Familia and Ulm Minster, and the tallest cathedral in the world.
Facts
Year CreatedYear the cathedral was completed to its original medieval Gothic plan, 632 years after the foundation stone was laid. LocationCologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 1 Architectural Style Structural SystemGothic rib vault with flying buttresses 1 Primary MaterialSandstone, with basalt lava used in later restoration 1 Building Type Commissioned ByArchbishop Konrad von Hochstaden of Cologne 1 Construction Height (metres) UNESCO Inscription Year Current UseActive Catholic cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Cologne 1 Visitor AccessOpen to the public; visitors may climb 533 steps to a viewing platform about 100 metres above the ground 1 Connections
In Form
Gothic cathedral in Cologne, Germany.
In Movement
Canonical High Gothic cathedral.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Germany, located there.
Sources
1. Cologne Cathedral (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction (location)
Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Introduction (building-type)
Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Introduction (architectural-style)
It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Introduction (current-use)
It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne.
Building history, Medieval beginning (construction-start-year)
The foundation stone was laid on Saturday, 15 August 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden.
Building history, Medieval beginning (commissioned-by)
The foundation stone was laid on Saturday, 15 August 1248, by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden.
Building history, 19th-century completion (year-created)
The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event on 15 October 1880, 632 years after construction had begun.
Building history, 19th-century completion (height-metres)
With a height of 157.38 m (516.3 ft), it was the tallest building in the world for four years until the completion of the Washington Monument.
Architecture (structural-system)
Externally the outward thrust of the vault is taken by flying buttresses in the French manner.
Ongoing renovation (primary-material)
The sandstone, which was used from 1842 onwards for the transept façades and the upper parts of the nave and transept, shows the most intensive weathering.
World Heritage Site (unesco-inscription-year)
In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites.
World Heritage Site (visitor-access)
Visitors can climb 533 stone steps of the spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 100 m (330 ft) above the ground.
Genre reference
Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne.
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