Cologne Cathedral - History of a German Gothic masterpiece

German police warned of a possible attack at Cologne Cathedral on Christmas and have stepped up security. Here‘s what you need to know about its history: The foundation stone for the tallest building in the world was laid on August 15th, 1248. The builders in Cologne knew that they would never get to see the finished cathedral. Construction lasted for 632 years — and work on the Cologne Cathedral never really ends. The local saying is, “When the cathedral is finished, the world will end.” The cathedral is a long-term project to create an appropriate home for the precious relics of the Three Wise Men, that can also accommodate the large streams of pilgrims. Today, the cathedral is Germany’s most-visited landmark. For more visit: ⮞ Follow DW Culture on Facebook: ⮞ Follow DW Culture on Twitter: Please follow DW’s netiquette: 00:00 Intro 03:00 How the huge cathedral is maintained and preserved 08:25 The hidden side of the cathedral 10:35 The history behind the cathedral 19:00 Skaters and railroads - is the cathedral disrupted by modern times? 21:00 The cathedral’s historic-political meaning - a platform for identity and protests 27:59 Gerhard Richter’s famous windows 28:46 A Cologne crime story - How the cathedral got robbed 32:17 Safety Issues of the cathedral 33:32 Destruction and preservation 38:10 The cathedrals symbolism in modern times