The Cathedral was not always situated in the center of the city as it is today. In Roman times, Christians celebrated devine service in a very modest building close to the city wall. After the edict of Milan proclaimed in 313 A.D., it developed into an approximately 130-meter long church with a courtyard and a baptistry (visible under the eastern terrace). After several enlargements in the Franconian era, and a fire in about 850, a start was made on the construction of the huge new church, which later became known as the ancient Cathedral, which was consecrated on 27th September 870. Thanks to its novel future-oriented design it was one of the most important models for Medieval church architecture in Europe.

In 1164, the relics of the Magi, or Three Kings, were transferred to the Cathedral. This meant that the importance of this Cologne church was again significantly increased, so it was not long before the idea of a new larger building was broached. In 1284, the foundation stone was load for an extraordinarily original church. Abandoned completely was the double-choir layout of the old Cathedral. The design was based on the most modern style of architecture, that of the French royal Cathedrals, which reached a hitherto unknown magnificence and splendor in the churches of Chartres, Reims, and Amiens. Clearly, the idea was to outstrip even their excellence with Cologne's new cathedral, which as far as elegance, architectural concept and size are concerned, undoutedly for surpasses its prototypes. Any further improvement seemed impossible and no such attemtp was made in the Middle Ages.

o To start with, the master builders Gerhard, Arnold and Johannes erected the choir, which, together with its valuable furnishings, was completed and consecrated in 1322. The enormous western facade, the largest church front ever built, was under construction from about the year 1300. For this purpose, a plan was drawn on a piece of parchment, measuring over four meters in length, which has been preserved right down to the present day. By the year 1560, all the naves of the main body of the Cathedral had been constructed up to a height of 13.5 meters, so that almost the entire floor area could be roofed over and used for devine service.

No hammer or chisel was heard in the church for 263 years until finally, in 1823, work could be resumed on repairs to the choir. It was thanks to the tireless activity of Cologne-born Sulpiz Boisseree that the suggestion made by Joseph von Görres in 1814 that the Cathedral should be completed was made known to the general public and eventually hailed with great enthusiasm. In 1842, the King of Prussia, Frederick William IV, and the Cologne archbishop, jointly laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral's completion which was supervised by the brilliant church architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner. The interior could be used by 1863, and, on 15th October 1880, the finishing touches were put to the facade with the placing of the finial on the 157 meter high south tower - at that time the tallest structure in the world.

The Second World War, which laid much of Cologne to waste, also left deep wounds in the apparently undamaged Cathedral, some of which have still to be healed. But there are new dangers on the horizon, for the damage caused by the corrosive effect of modern air pollution is on the increase. Therefore, the Cathedral stonemasons' lodge and its staff of over 100, whose task is the preservation of the Cathedral, will also be indispensable for the foreseeable future.

We saw the Cathedral on July 11th. The trip on the Rhine follows the cathedral pictures though that was the 10th.