In 785, the Roman Catholic Church established a bishop, and the Rhine Trade Center developed. Since it was designated as the residence of the Archbishop of westfalen in 795, the religious status of Cologne has been strengthened day by day. Cologne was named "Jerusalem in the North" because it built a series of church buildings, mainly cathedrals. 120 1 became a free city, developed into a trade center in eastern and western Europe and the largest city in medieval Germany. Due to the high development of trade, handicrafts and art at this time, handicraft guilds even elected their own mayors to compete with Roman rulers. When the Hanseatic League was founded, Cologne became a major city. It has the headquarters of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia urban agglomeration. /kloc-In the 5th century, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire recognized Cologne as a free city, and the city gained the right to be a free city. /kloc-After the 5th century, with the decline of Hanseatic League, Cologne's economic status in Germany gradually declined.
This change directly explains why Cologne Cathedral adopts Gothic architecture. Early Germany was deeply influenced by Roman culture, and church architecture was a typical Roman style. /kloc-after 0/2 century, the civil class rose, the political economy changed, and the architectural form also changed. The construction of the cathedral is a symbol of the prosperity of European Catholicism and medieval culture. 1 164, Leonard, the emperor of the German Empire and Archbishop of Cologne, won a precious trophy when he fought in Milan, Italy-the remains of the three saints of the East who worshipped the newborn Christ. As a result, Cologne became the most famous pilgrimage site after the Holy Land of Artu in Spain, Rome in Italy and Aachen in Germany. 1238, the king of France bought the Beijing crown that Jesus wore when he was crucified from the Byzantine emperor, so Paris became the most powerful competitor in Cologne. In order to maintain the status of the holy land and dedicate this relic, the architectural style was selected from the emerging Gothic style at that time. The Bishop of Cologne chose to start the construction of the Church of Our Lady ascensiontide in August of 15, marking the beginning of a new era; Germany, the largest city at that time, built the world's first cathedral for their common desire. According to archaeological findings, the original site of the church was an ordinary residence during the occupation of the Roman Empire. Since the end of the 4th century or the beginning of the 5th century, small-scale churches have been built in this position. After that, the church continued to expand and rebuild until the old church was officially completed on September 27, 873-the predecessor of Cologne Cathedral today. 1248 On April 30th, the church was almost destroyed by a fire. According to another source, "Cologne Cathedral is located in North Rhine-westfalen, and was built in the original site of Hildeburg".
The whole building project spans more than six centuries and is a model of medieval Gothic religious architecture in Germany. Today's Cologne Cathedral was built in 1248 and completed in 1880. If the retro style of19th century swept through Europe, this Gothic classic would never be completed. After seven centuries, its successive builders held the same belief and were absolutely loyal to the original plan. The cathedral is a huge project, and thousands of design drawings are still preserved. Its construction period is as long as 632 years, which is the highest in the world. 1248, French architect Kyle harriet was invited to design and build Cologne Cathedral. On August 1248, Conrad von Hostaden, Bishop of Cologne, held the groundbreaking ceremony of the cathedral in Notre Dame ascensiontide that day, which marked the beginning of an era. The moment that 25,000 citizens have been waiting for has arrived. It was everyone's wish to build a "world first" cathedral in the largest city in Germany at that time-the rich donated money, the poor contributed, the artists contributed wisdom, and the rulers fully supported it. At that time, the scale was small, and its architectural form adopted the architectural method of the early Christian era, which was extremely simple.
The initial project was to cap the choir from 1248 to 1322. The preliminary project cost a lot, which was unimaginable under the technical conditions at that time. The double-roof church is 44 meters high and straight up and down, which not only ensures the stability of the foundation, but also reflects the unique vertical linear effect of Gothic architecture. It is said that at that time, people actually built columns that went straight into the sky, then installed wooden cranes on them, and finally it was actually "aerial work". Today's people have no chance to see scaffolding like castles in the air, but just from its 14 meter mid-span, we can imagine how this slender pyramid-shaped building rose from the ground. Carpenters, masons, masons, porters and even various logistics personnel are working around the clock to speed up the construction period. In summer, they work more than 14 hours a day, at dawn, seven or eight hours in winter. Some workers eat three meals a day, and the degree of hard work can be imagined. The relatively easy tasks such as laying foundation, repairing columns and hanging beams were quickly completed, and the most difficult task was capping. People first cast the roof platform on the ground, and then hoisted it to an altitude of nearly 60 meters-in order to reduce weight and save stone, carpenters and masons cooperated to form the roof with wood and stone. Nevertheless, people are still worried about whether "slender" columns can support the roof instead of load-bearing walls, and according to the principle of economy and beauty, many stones on the columns are evacuated and glass screens are built. If the 44-meter-high roof collapses, the consequences will be unimaginable. Fortunately, building a church is not building blocks. Smart designers use the arch design in Romanesque cathedral buildings to create pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying arches to help columns support dome-shaped ceilings-this is the essence of Gothic architecture. In Cologne Cathedral, there are arch walls around each main pillar, usually five arches, but there are also three arches and seven arches.
Although the conditions are tough and the construction period is tight, the designers are not careless at all. Without the knowledge of modern geometry and mechanics, they repeatedly studied every detail and built it while experimenting. Even in the absence of uniform size standards, those unknown great architects succeeded simply by building models and making objects themselves. In the later stage of the project, due to the shortage of funds and the power and profit disputes between regional bishops, many people involved in the construction almost completed their work with firm belief-they believed in God, hoped to build a paradise on earth and prayed for God's blessing. 1322, Heinrich von Weisberg, Bishop of the region, presided over the capping ceremony of the choir, and the project of Cologne Cathedral officially came to an end.
/kloc-At the beginning of the 5th century, people tried to build a church (South Hall) side by side in the south of the original church, but the 58-meter-high building collapsed before it was built, leaving only a wooden crane on the pillar as a symbol of Cologne.
Due to the barrier of previous wars, especially the two long religious wars of "Thirty Years' War" and "Hundred Years' War", the construction project was intermittent. 1560, the hall in the church was basically completed, which was interrupted by the German religious reform project (it was reported that there was a fire).
1842, Karl Frederick Singler, a famous German architect, called on the public to reopen the cathedral project. King Frederick William IV of Prussia responded to this appeal and gave financial support. 1842 On September 4th, under the auspices of William IV, the second foundation stone was laid for the cathedral. From 65438 to the 1960s, the Prussian Empire was powerful and rich in financial resources. The unfinished project of Cologne Cathedral was put on the agenda again. The Germans are eager to show their status as a powerful country and are determined to build the tallest church in the world on the basis of the original church. As early as before, many celebrities, including the great writer Goethe, put forward the idea of rebuilding the cathedral. 1864, cologne issued lottery tickets to raise funds until 1880 was officially completed. Cologne Cathedral was raised and widened one by one, forming two "towers" as today's main entrance. Buildings with "cross heart" as the main body. Until1880 65438+1October 15, the Cologne Cathedral, the tallest building in the world, held a grand completion ceremony. Become one of the most outstanding achievements in the history of architecture.
Besides its unique value and artistic value, it also shows the strength and endurance of European Catholicism. 1942, the Anglo-American joint air force bombed Germany. Cologne, located in the Rhine River, is one of the most heavily bombed cities in the hinterland of the lower reaches, where the chemical industry is concentrated. At the end of the war, the old town of Cologne was destroyed by 90%. The ancient church was spared the bombing because of the request of German Catholicism through the Holy See. Although Cologne Cathedral was not destroyed, it was also hit by more than a dozen bombs of the allied forces. After the war, Premier Konrad Adenauer had a special liking for his hometown of Cologne, and presided over the restoration of Cologne Cathedral to make it look brand-new. Cologne people highly admire the contributions of two "Conrad"-/Bishop Kloc-0/248 and Prime Minister Kloc-0/948. They not only made Cologne Cathedral brilliant again, but also created today's new Germany.
At the end of the 20th century, acidic air mercilessly eroded every mottled stone, and wave after wave of renovation began. Maintain the architectural characteristics of the cathedral, and protect and manage the internal artistic furnishings. Since 1999, the cathedral reconstruction has put forward a budget of17.2 million marks. Thanks to the financial assistance from religious circles, individuals and the government, Cologne Cathedral, as a symbol of faith and a unified witness to the cultural traditions of New China and Europe, will be better preserved.