This Week in Christian History: Cathedral Completed, Pope Elected, Holy Site Destroyed

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, October 15, 2017

Cologne Cathedral Construction Completed - October 15, 1880

People are silhouetted against the famous landmark the Cologne Cathedral, Germany, January 25, 2016. | (Photo: Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay)

This week marks the anniversary of when the construction of one of the most famous cathedrals in the world was finally completed.

Germany's Cologne Cathedral took a long time to complete, as its construction began in 1248 but was not completed until 1880.

"On 15 October 1880 the last stone was laid at the top of the 157-m high south-west spire," noted the Cathedral's website.

"All the medieval parts of the cathedral were built of trachyte from the Drachenfels, but the 19th-century builders employed sandstones."

Additional work regarding repairs and restoration were done during the twentieth century. Still, the Cathedral maintains a prominent cultural presence in modern Europe.

"As well as being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe, it is also Germany's most popular monument of medieval art, receiving an average of 20,000 visitors a day," noted Art Encyclopedia.

"Located close to the River Rhine, the cathedral is famous for its architectural statues, steep gables, blind tracery and unifying series of spires, as well as its rare works of religious art."