A Tale of Two German Cathedrals, Three Wise Men, and One Roman Emperor
japra | Dec 08, 2009 | Comments 17
Kölner Dom in Cologne, Germany
The Cologne Cathedral sits on the bank of the Rhine river. It was built in stages over 600 years (1248-1880)! According to Wikipedia, it was the tallest structure in the world for four years until the Washington Monument was completed in 1884.
Did you know that 95% of Cologne was destroyed during World War II? Fourteen aerial bombs hit the Cologne Cathedral. Unless you look closely, you can’t really tell which parts of the cathedral are new. Here’s a short video with stills of Cologne after the bombing in 1942. The fallen bridge in the video is the train bridge in the first photo above.
The cathedral is built in the Gothic style and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
When you go, your eyes will be drawn up high. But don’t forget to look down, too.
The late 19th century mosaic floors are breathtaking.
There are beautiful chapels
and a whole lot of stained glass.
And just behind the altar is this amazing sarcophagus… the Shrine of the Three Kings. It is said that this reliquary contains the bones of the three wise men. Wow!
Palatine Chapel in Aachen, Germany
In the late 700s, Charles I (aka Charles the Great or Charlemagne) began construction on this octagonal chapel. It was consecrated in 805 by Pope Leo III. The Palatine Chapel was part of the Aachen Palace compound. Most of the palace is gone now, but Charlemagne’s chapel is well preserved.
The chapel was built in the Carolingian style, which is said to borrow from Early Christian and Byzantine architectural styles. Aachen Cathedral deservedly is a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you have a few minutes, you can watch this short, informative video on the cathedral.
It was really dark inside, but I did mange to get a couple of unblurry shots. This is a huge Barbarossa chandelier. There’s a better shot of it here.
Oh my goodness, the artist in me was overcome by the mosaics. It was like being inside a jewellery box.
Unfortunately, I only have this blurry shot of the two important reliquaries in the cathedral. One is Emperor Charlemagne’s shrine. The other is the Shrine of St. Mary. According to Wikipedia:
The Shrine of St Mary rests in the choir of the church and dates from 1220-1239. Adorned with the figures of Christ, Mary, Charlemagne, Pope Leo III and the Twelve Apostles, the shrine contains the four great Aachen relics: St. Mary’s cloak, Christ’s swaddling clothes, St. John the Baptist’s beheading cloth and Christ’s loincloth. Following a custom begun in 1349, every seven years the relics are taken out of the shrine and put on display during the Great Aachen Pilgrimage. This pilgrimage most recently took place during June 2007.
I would encourage you to pay these two cathedrals a visit if you’re ever in the area. We went to this part of Germany because we heard it had charming Christmas markets and it was close to the Netherlands. Yes, we had fun at the markets, but these cathedrals? We’ll never forget them.
Filed Under: Blog • Cathedrals & Churches • Destinations • Featured • Germany • What to Do
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
The interior shots of the Cologne cathedral are amazing – how can you not look up in a space like that?! Is the main part really narrow or does it look that way because it’s so long?
I can’t believe the Palantine Chapel is so old – everyone else must have been living in dumps with that right in the midst of it all. I love the mosaics – I’m going to put that on my to do list for one of my ceilings (ha!).
Julia, I think that is an interesting visual affect happening… The ceiling was waaaaay up there, though.
Gorgeous Cathedrals….your pictures are amazing.
Kathy, I do love the old churches. Are there some good ones in Bremen? Interestingly, when I was in the Koln train station, there was a store there selling Bremen foodstuff. It looked like tea and some goodies. Now I wonder what local delicacies you have in your part of Germany!
What amazing structures! And your pictures are terrific. I love Gothic architecture AND mosaics, so I guess I have to add these sites to my “next time in Europe” list.
And the video of Köln just after the war is just heartbreaking–but also so wonderful to see how far the city came, resulting in its present state. I’m not sure I’d have had the heart to begin rebuilding if I’d been a resident at the time. How would you start a task like that!? One brick at a time, I guess.
Kathy, that video was very moving. There’s so much out there to watch these days. This one was interesting too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEqwLLFNC3w&feature=related
I with you. I can’t imagine having the heart to rebuild. We were wandering around the city thinking, where did all the residents go when the city was being bombed?
I could spend hours looking at pictures of old cathedrals (or, preferably, wandering around them in person). Those mosaics are incredible!
Like Julia, I’m struck by the age of the Palatine Chapel, and by the thought that the living conditions nearby must have been very different indeed. I imagine that the chapel’s extreme relative grandeur must have made it seem even holier to parishioners.
Anne, I love the history here in Europe. Sometimes I try to imagine what life must have been like 100, 200, 500, 1000 years ago, but I can’t quite get there. It is such a privilege to have the chance to see all of these amazing things.
thanks for the gorgeous pictures and all the historic information. Everything looks so peaceful now after world war II…
Christine, Cologne is a vibrant city. It has a young feel to it, and now I know why.
As a truly frivolous aside, the shopping is brilliant there!!
Oh my goodness!! I watched the you tube video and was shocked at how damaged the town was. What an overwhelming project to begin. It just boggles the mind. As always, your posts are beautiful to look at, informative and delightful. :)
p.s. I’m still thinking about those clog/boots!!
Thank you, LucyLucia! Are you planning your next European adventure yet? After you adventure south of the border first, that is.
LOL about the boots!
okay, my mouth has been open in awe from the very first photograph
Chris, the mosaics, my friend. The mosaics!!!
Yout blog is awesome. Every day a treat!
Stunning pictures. All of that gold, wow.
Wowsers! Awesome photos and obviously I love this post given my love of churches and cathedrals!! Stunning.
That video of Cologne brought tears to my eyes. My mind could not comprehend the devastation and loss of 9/11 never mind entire streets and cities. It is just too big to comprehend.
I looked at a video of Hamburg too and it is just terrible. I think I’ll do a hat trick and look for photos of Liverpool or London.
By the way, have you seen this: http://acidcow.com/pics/3772-normandy_1944_then_and_now_204_pics.html