Beautiful Cologne

We had anticipated a particularly eventful day when we decided to go to Cologne.  However I was not prepared for the visual impact of the Cologne Cathedral.  After having parked our car where we suspected was only a few blocks from the cathedral, we headed out along a narrow, busy street filled with throngs of shoppers on a grey, February morning. Characteristic of many German sites, you are unable to see what you are looking for until you are almost on top if it.  This was the case here.  We turned a corner and there it was, looming over us with a presence so strong it seemed to defy us not to look.  I had already visited many cathedrals, including Notre Dame, the Strasbourg Cathedral, Le Sacre Coeur, but this one left me in awe.  The facade is 86.5 metres wide, the largest of any church in the world, necessary in this cast to support the massive twin towers.  It was true in every respect to its Gothic design, in spite of having sustained construction for a period of 600 years.  As breathtaking as the exterior image was, we were to witness a unique interior design which managed to incorporate sufficient exterior light to dispel the normally dark, somber interior so typical of most Catholic churches of the same period.  It also holds the distinction of the highest height to width ratio of any medieval church.  This was made the more visually impressive by the stained glass panels extending from near the floor to the transits.  They, in and of themselves, are worth of careful study, not only for their beauty, but the stories they depicted in stunning backlit colours.  One stained glass panel was destroyed during the war and was replaced in the last few years completely replaced with intricate computer generated designe square patterns on the south wall.  As the sun moves, so too does the image of the refracted glass across the wall of the cathedral.  Our grey day of course did not permit us to witness this event, but the window itself gave my imagination ample opportunityto visualize the resplendent effect. This cathedral is recognized as a world heritage site by Unesco and is desribed as "en exceptional work of human creative genius.".  It also symbolizes to German's a memorial to their near two thousand years of Christian heritage. We had the good fortune of an English tour which provided detailed summaries of other valued artifacts within the
cathedral.  One such relic is a silver and gold sarcophagus holding what
they claim to be the remains of the three magi.  Indeed the contents have been analyzed and reported to be the clothing and bones of individuals very rich and of the time reputed time period.  The Christian artifact is said to be the most valuable (monetarily) Christian relic in existence.  Given the gold, silver and gems of which it is made, the size (several feet) and the workmanship it could easily be true.
Cologne dates back to 34 BC, the largest Roman outpost outside of Paris and Constantinople.  This cathedral was built over another ancient church back in the third century.
 
Unlike some other cathedrals, it never was neglected, although for a long period of time no construction took place.  It was not completed until the nineteenth century and was, for a time, the tallest structure in the world until the Washington monument was completed.  They had the good fortune to find the original plans for the towers and the rich Prussian merchants felt to make it a symbol of their Christian roots, albeit they were mostly protestant.  This edifice does not belong to the Catholic Church any longer, but is publicly owned and maintained.  A Catholic Archbishop retains this as his seat and services are held here.

We also spent part of our day exploring other museums,
 including a museum which once was the Gestapo Headquarters.
This museum is maintained as it was during the war.  The sub ground floors were designed as a bomb shelter and a cell block. Small, dingy rooms served as holding tanks for those accused of crimes against the Reich.  Almost anyone could be arrested and confined to these cells for months at a time. Gypsies, gays and lesbians, foreign nationals, members of underground resistance, and those simply accused by disgruntled neighbors fell victim to arrest, interrogation and torture.  Hand written scripts and pictures still visible on the walls tell the grim stories of their existence, hardships and woeful state.  Many of these were translated into English and described terrible abuses at the hands of the SS.  It was sad but there was in many of them a sense of hope and even peace.  Some knew death awaited them, yet they communicated in words their tranquility with it all.  The museum is called EL-DE Hause,  The EL DE  making reference to the first letters of the first and last name of a Jewish merchant who owned the building prior to the war.  This museum has been recognized with a presitigious International award honoring it for "The Best in Heritage" title.  I gather that this award honors those museums that take special care to accurately depict in form, detail and breadth the the history as it was.  Only one is given a year and only two are recognized with this honor in Germany.

We also visited a Roman Museum given the age of this beautiful city.  There were abundant remains of the Roman presence.  Cologne is also on the Rhine and represents one the most northerly advances of the Romans in their attempt to quell the troublesome Germanic tribes.  For three hundred years Roman influence permeated the culture and architecture of the region.  Many lived and died here.  I was under the impression that these Roman armies migrated back and fourth to Rome as circumstances required.  This was not the case.  Many lived their whole lives here - serving, retiring and dying.  Ancient grave sites with Roman gods are depicted in designs, sculptures and remains.  The ancestral Germans adopted much of the customs and beliefs of their Roman occupiers.  This museum was dedicated to the early period of Cologne history with focus on Roman architecture, craft, jewelery and customs.  The spacious exhibit captured the flavor of the period with thousands of displays.  A most enjoyable experience!