Scaffolding removed, Cologne Cathedral in Germany recreates "its true appearance"

Cologne Cathedral in Germany is one of the most well-known Gothic buildings in the world, enjoying the reputation of "the world's most perfect Gothic church". However, cologne cathedral is more famous for its label of "long-term renovation", which is why it is also called "eternal construction site". Recently, the scaffolding erected on the north tower of the church for ten years was removed, and the "true face" of Cologne Cathedral was once again revealed to the world.

Solemn scaffolding removal work

Cologne Cathedral is the only place that every Cologneite truly aspires to, even for those without religious affiliation. For a decade, however, the 30-meter-high aluminium scaffolding suspended above the north tower of Cologne Cathedral has cast a shadow over the church landscape. A few days ago, the last and largest scaffolding of the church was finally removed in the presence of the Coronians, and the view of the west façade of the Cologne Cathedral was once again unobstructed.

The scaffold erection was erected in 2011 for the restoration of the church. During a storm in 1984, a stone fell from a height of about 100 meters. This caused considerable damage to the roof of the aisle. In addition, rocks that kept falling above the building posed a danger to pedestrians passing below the church. The reason the stone fell was that iron was used in the towers of the towers used to decorate the corners of the tower.

"When the iron rusts, it causes the stone to burst. So we replaced this iron reinforcement with stainless steel reinforcement in all corners of the tower so that it would not regenerate rust. Fisenich explained. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the damage caused by the war was also repaired, and two angel statues more than three meters high were replaced.

"Scaffolding removal in this form doesn't happen very often. This has only happened twice in Cologne Cathedral," stressed Matthias Deml, a spokesman for the cathedral's craftsmen. Similar scaffolding removals were made in 2006 and 2013.

"One of the features of Cologne Cathedral"

The removal of scaffolding is good news for travel enthusiasts, as it is time to "punch in" in front of the church's perfect posture. In fact, if you look back at history, you can find that scaffolding created the landscape of Cologne Cathedral.

The entire construction of Cologne Cathedral spanned more than 6 centuries from 1248 to 1880. Without the knowledge of modern geometry and mechanics at that time, every detail in the design scheme was built by the architect while experimenting. The highest point of the church spire reached 157.38 meters, in order to ensure the stability of the foundation and reflect the unique vertical linear effect of Gothic architecture, the people at that time first built towering columns, and then installed wooden cranes on them, and finally achieved "high-altitude work". Today's people have no chance to see the scaffolding of the castle in the air.

After a shortage of materials, corruption of officials, dynastic change, and the outbreak of war, consuming 400,000 tons of stone, the Coronians finally relied on their pious faith to create tall stone pillars, bright and colorful stained glass, exquisite arcade roofs, and soaring twin towers.

However, during World War II, Cologne Cathedral suffered another catastrophe, being hit by shells about 70 times. The North Tower, in particular, relied on temporary brick reinforcements to escape its collapse in the decades after the war. Since then, it has been in constant repair, and it is covered with "bandages". The history of the cathedral's renovation also reflects its ill-fated fate. It is often ridiculed that "scaffolding in different periods has become one of the characteristics of Cologne Cathedral".

"When the cathedral is completed, the world will be destroyed"

The first scaffolding of Cologne Cathedral was erected in 1996 and has been featured since then. Even after this massive removal, there are still many scaffolding on Cologne Cathedral, and the next large suspended scaffolding should be erected in 2023.

"When the cathedral is finished, the world will be destroyed," said the Coronians. Fortunately, the end of the world has not yet arrived. Apparently, the Coronians believed that the repair of the cathedral could not be completed at all, and this was the case.

Many wonder: Other buildings, such as London's Big Ben, were scaffolded for only a few years, and then rejuvenated and radiant for decades afterwards. Why is this not possible in Cologne?

Chief architect Fisenich explained that Cologne Cathedral is the largest church in Germany with the largest floor area, and the storm will cause damage to it. In the past, air pollution has also hit the cathedral hard, and there are still war damage to be repaired. On top of that, Cologne Cathedral is a filigrane building with numerous surfaces and thousands of small branches, and there is always something to do. About 100 construction workers in the church are constantly busy replacing old ones with new ones, thus protecting the cathedral from decay. This is an eternal task. Therefore, in the next few decades, the end of the world will never come.

Still, it's worth it. Cologne Cathedral is one of the most collected churches in Europe and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Germany, and was listed as a "World Heritage Site" in 1996. Heine once said, "Look, that huge fellow, there appears in the moonlight!" It was the eerie towering of Cologne Cathedral. "The cologne cathedral stands silently there, a spiritual sanctuary forged by the enthusiasm, wisdom, piety and faith of Cologne people who poured all their lives into, and it also teaches people humility, perseverance, responsibility, cooperation and sustainability.

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