Today in History

August 15, 1248

The Cologne Cathedral

On August 15, 1248, the cornerstone of the Cologne Cathedral was laid. Construction was completed in 1880, a period of over 600 years.

Originally, the Cathedral was conceived as a home for religious relics of the Three Kings which had come into the possession of the Archbishop of Cologne.

Until the construction of the Washington Monument, the Cologne Cathedral was the tallest structure in the world.

During World War II, the Cathedral suffered direct hits from aerial bombardment, but survived.

Today it stands as one of the finest examples of medieval construction in existence.

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