We
woke at 7:30 am and went to breakfast on the ship at 8:00. The weather forecast
was 58-75°F with chances of
rain.
Just
before 9 am, we picked up our excursion and boarding passes for the “Cologne Walking Tour” shore excursion and
a Cologne city map from the reception desk.
Cologne: map of city center with Old Town.
At
9:15, we departed the ship from where it docked at Zons on a bus to the Komödienstraße bus stop near the Cathedral in Cologne.
Cologne (Köln in German),
now in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, is one of the oldest towns in Germany,
originally founded by the Romans in 33 BC as Colonia Agrippina. Franks rules
the town from the end of the 5th century, and Charlemagne (Karl der Große in
German) made it a bishopric. Its archbishop was one of the seven Electors of
the Holy Roman Empire. It has remained a powerful ecclesiastical center,
boasting 12 Romanesque churches dating from the 10th to 13th centuries, in
addition to its famous Gothic Cathedral.
The
guide took us to the Cathedral and
then gave us only 20 minutes to view the interior on our own, since he was not
allowed to use the QuietVox audio system inside.
Monday, 13 Aug 2018, 10:05 AM – Cologne: view of Cathedral façade from
Komödienstraße bus stop.
The Kölner Dom (Cologne
Cathedral) is officially known as Hohe
Domkirche Sankt Petrus (High Cathedral Church of St. Peter). It is the most
famous Gothic structure in Germany. It is also unusually complex, in terms of
its splendor, its size, and even the time(s) of its construction.
Before construction of
the present Cathedral began in 1248, he site had earlier been occupied by a
grain storage building that was possibly succeeded by a Roman temple built by
Mercurius Augustus. From the 4th century on, it was occupied by Christian
buildings, including the “Oldest Cathedral” commissioned by Maternus, the first
bishop of Cologne in 313 as the cathedral of the Roman city. At the latest in
the 6th century, a large church complex, called the “Merovingian church” was
located here. The next church, called the “Alte Dom” (Old Cathedral), was begun
around 800, completed in 818, and consecrated in 873; it was destroyed by fire
in 1248 during demolition work to prepare for the new cathedral. The Old
Cathedral was extended by two aisles and became the first three-nave church in
the 10th and 11th centuries. In contrast to today’s Cathedral, the Old
Cathedral has two choirs with apses. The west choir was dedicated to the
cathedral’s patron, St. Peter, and the east choir to the Mother of God. (This
explains why some sources still refer to Cologne’s cathedral as “Dom Sankt
Peter und Santa Maria” [Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Mary].)
The impetus for building
the new cathedral was the arrival of the alleged relics of the Magi in 1164,
after which the cathedral in Cologne became one of Europe’s most important
pilgrimage destinations. Although the Old Cathedral was still in existence at
that time, the archbishop saw the need to find a more fitting place to house
the Shrine of the Three Kings as well as to serve as a place of worship for the
Holy Roman Emperor. (After their royal coronation in Aachen, the emperors
usually stopped in Cologne to venerate the bones of the biblical Magi, who
according to the medieval conception were the first Christian kings.) It was
decided to adopt the ethereal new Gothic style of architecture, rather than the
late Romanesque style still in vogue in the Rhineland at the time, but to
surpass earlier French models in size and splendor. The foundation stone was
laid in 1248. The presbytery (chancel and choir) that now forms the eastern arm
of the cathedral was completed in 1320 and consecrated in 1322; it was sealed
off by a temporary wall so it could be used as a place of worship as work
proceeded. In the mid-14th century, work on the west façade began, but was
halted in 1473 and again in 1520, leaving the south tower complete up to the
belfry level (about 56 m) and crowned by a huge crane (probably placed there
around 1350, when construction of the south tower began and raised as each
succeeding level of the tower was completed) that remained in place as a
landmark of the Cologne skyline for 400 years. Some work proceeded
intermittently on the structure of the nave between the western front and the
eastern arm, but this ended during the 16th century. In 1560, the project was
abandoned, with only the south tower and the lower parts of the nave and façade
having been built. Then it remained unfinished until the 19th century, when
Romanticists enthusiasm for the Middle Ages revived interest in it.
Cologne: Cathedral –
unfinished in 1856, with 15th-century crane on south tower (en.wikipedia.org. By
Johann Franz Michiels - Uta Grefe: Köln in frühen Photographien 1847-1914,
Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, München, 1988, ISBN 3-88814-294-6Scan by Raimond
Spekking, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2237940).
The building was then
completed in 1842-1880, according to the rediscovered original Gothic designs.
Pollution has made it difficult to distinguish between the medieval and
19th-century parts. When first built, the spires, at 157 m (515 ft), were the
tallest structures in the world, and this is still the tallest twin-spired
church and, with those spires, has the largest façade of any church in the
world.
During WWII, the twin
spires were an easily recognizable navigational landmark for allied bombers.
Although the Allies tried to spare the Cathedral, it suffered 14 hits by heavy
explosive bombs and more than 70 firebombing hits, as well as damage from
shelling and flying material. Badly damaged, it nevertheless remained standing
in an otherwise completely flattened city. Fortunately, the medieval windows
and many of the cathedral’s important furnishings had been protected by
sandbags, so there was no great loss of medieval art. Repairs were completed in
1956. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
10:07 AM – Cologne: Cathedral façade (except for top of
spires) from Frankenplatz square.
10:08 AM – Cologne: Cathedral façade (except for top of
spires) from Frankenplatz square, with Viking tour group 13B.
MT 10:04 AM – Cologne: Cathedral façade (except for bottom
part with main door) from Frankenplatz square.
10:15 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – main door in west façade
(with some statues restored); note the two guards at the entrance on the right
(one in red robe), who reminded male visitors to remove their hats.
Our
guide later explained that the restoration process currently underway involved
replacing the stonework with replicas rather than being able to clean them.
10:15 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – Peter’s Portal on right
side of façade.
The
Peter’s Portal (Petersportal) is the
only one of the 12 portals that was at least partially completed in the Middle
Ages. (Following its example, the other portals were designed in the 19th
century.) In the period around 1370-80, members of the famous sculptor and
painter family Parler created the decorative figurines. On both sides of the
door, which has bronze wings, are large architraves, of which five are still
old; north (left, inside out) Peter, Andrew, and James, south (right) Paul and
John. Because of their poor state of preservation, the original statues had to
be removed and replaced by copied in poured stone in 1972-80.
10:16 AM – Cologne: Cathedral - statues of Emperor Heinrich
II (left) and King Stephen of Hungary (right) between center (main) door and
right door of façade (mild telephoto 93 mm).
Kaiser Heinrich II (972-1024)
was Duke of Bavaria (as Heinrich IV) in 995-1004 and again 1009-1017, King of
Ostfrankreich (East Franks) 1002-1024, King of Italy in 1004-1024, and Holy
Roman Emperor (as Heinrich II, Henry II) from 1014 to 1024. He was canonized (as
Heinrich der Fromme, Henry the Pious) in 1146 by Pope Eugenius III.
Stephan von Ungarn
(St. Stephen of Hungary, c. 975-1038) was Grand Prince of the Hungarians
(997-1000) and the first King of Hungary (Stephen I, 1000-1038). He was
canonized (as King Saint Stephen) in 1083 by Pope Gregory VII.
MT 10:05 AM – Cologne: outside Cathedral – 13B tour guide,
Oliver Herrmann (according to his name tag) with a sign for “Köln.”
10:22 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – view from rear of central
nave to apse.
Since
the sun was shining nicely on the stained-glass windows, Don decided to start
with them.
Stained-glass
windows
are essential components of a Gothic cathedral, and Cologne has a marvelously
varied assemblage. The presbytery (chancel), the ambulatory, and the chapels
retain a number of Gothic stained-glass windows, mainly from the early 14th
century. The oldest window, dating from 1260, is in the axis chapel of the
ambulatory and is a “Bible” window, pairing New Testament scenes with a
parallel from the Old Testament; another is two chapels to the south. In a
completely different, far more monumental style is the late Gothic glass on the
north (left) side of the nave, designed by some of the leading local painters.
These, in turn, contrast well with the brilliantly colored 19th-century windows
on the south (right) side, including a set of five Bayernfenster (Bavarian
windows), a gift from Bavarian King Ludwig I around the time of the cathedral’s
completion. These strongly represent the painterly German style of that time.
MT 10:22 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – 19th-century stained-glass window (Life
of Christ Window) at right rear.
The Life of Christ Window (Leben-Christi-Fenster) was originally from
1884, when the 8 ground-floor windows of the two lower halls were given a
comprehensive cycle of nearly 200 pictures illustrating the history of
salvation from the Creation of the world to the Last Judgment. During WWII, the
cycle was almost completely destroyed, leaving only two windows in the north
tower hall. This window was reconstructed in 2005.
Given limited time, Don started down the left aisle, where there were older stained-glass windows.
10:22 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – stained-glass window (Passion
Window) at left rear.
The Passion Window (Passionsfenster) dates from 1507/08, donated by the
Domdechant (Deacon of the Cathedral) Philipp von Daun, who later became
Archbishop of Cologne. In the lower part of the window, the donor and his
parents can be seen. Above that are St. Lawrence and the Blessed Mother. Above
that is a series of pictures portraying the Passion of Christ, from the prayer
in the Mount of Olives to the
Resurrection.
10:24 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Peter
and Root of Jesse Window) on left side.
The Peter and Root of Jesse Window (Petrus- und Wurzel Jesse-Fenster)
is from 1509. St. Peter is the patron saint of the Cathedral, and the Tree of
Jesse shows Christ’s royal ancestry. Depicted in the bottom part of the window
are the Archbishop of Cologne, Philipp von Daun, who donated the window after
his election. To the right is St. Sebastian. The two outer panels show the
“ancestral test” of the Archbishop. (In 1474, this test was introduced for
members of the Cologne cathedral chapter, who had to be able to prove 16
aristocratic ancestors.)
10:25 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Window
of the Nativity) on left side.
The Window of the Nativity (Typologisches Geburt-Christi-Fenster,
Typological Nativity Window) dates from 1507. The central picture shows the
Christ Child between Mary and Joseph, being visited by the angels and
shepherds. On the left side is Moses and the Burning Bush, an Old Testament
model for the virgin birth of Christ. Below that are large figures of the city
patron of Cologne, and Saints George, Gregorius Maurus, and Gereon. All the
saints on the lower row of the window are connected with Cologne.
10:25 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Window
of the Three Holy Magi) on left side.
The Window of the Three Holy Magi (Typologisches Dreikönigenfenster,
Typological Window of the Three Kings) is from 1507/08, donated by the
Archbishop of Cologne, Hermann von Hessen. In the lower two rows are 16 coats
of arms. This is the so-called “ancestral test” of the founder. (In 1474, this
test was introduced for members of the Cologne cathedral chapter, who had to be
able to prove 16 aristocratic ancestors.) Above that are the patrons of the
archbishop and his house: Peter, who represents the archiepiscopal donor, Mary,
Elisabeth of Thuringia, and Christopher. The main panel at the top shows the
Adoration of the Three Kings, who appear before Mary and the child with a
magnificent retinue and many presents. The left-hand part shows the Queen of
Sheba visiting King Solomon, an Old Testament model for the worship of kings.
10:25 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Window
of the Coronation of the Virgin) at left front.
The Window of the Coronation of the Virgin (Marienkrönungsfenster) dates
from 1509. This window was donated by Philip II, Count of Virneburg, who is
pictures in the bottom row with his deceased first and living second wife. On
the next row above that are St. Mary Magdalene and St. George as a dragon
slayer, and the next row up is St. John the Evangelist and St. Peter. The
picture at the top shows the Coronation of Mary, with the dove of the Holy
Spirit hovering over her. Enthroned at the sides of Mary are Christ and God the
Father.
10:25 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – triptych of Klarenaltar (open
on feast days) on left side, toward front.
The Klarenaltar (Altar of the Poor Clares) is in Gothic style. Created
in 1350/60 by Johannes von Valkenburg, it is one of the earliest examples of
the Cologne school of painting. The winged altar (triptych) was originally located
in the Franciscan Church of St. Clara in Cologne. However, after the
secularization and demolition of that church, it was moved to the Cathedral,
initially in the St. John Chapel until 1894 and then to a new position behind
the medieval high altar. It is now in the north (left) nave, at the corner of
the transept. During WWII, the altarpiece was moved into a bunker located in
the north tower of the Cathedral, then returned in 1969.
The hinged altarpiece is closed by
a double pair of wings, so that three different opening configurations are
possible. The exterior shutters are painted on canvas in a wood frame, and the
interior shutters are made of wood panels. The central box is made of wood.
Cologne: Cathedral – central
box of triptych of Klarenaltar on left side, toward front (By Frank Vincentz -
Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19416515
(Cropped).
Visible in the central box, in all three configurations, is the tabernacle. This was one of the first altarpieces with a tabernacle. The door of the tabernacle, in the center, shows a rare representation of the so-called Martins Mass. St. Martin, who had given his cloak to a beggar shortly before the beginning of a Mass, had to put on a robe that was too short for celebrating Mass. As he raises the host during the consecration, his uncovered arms become visible. Thereupon, a ball of fire appears, as a symbol of divine blessing on his charity. Then, according to legend, angels appear and miraculously dress him properly, covering his bare arms with gem-set golden chains. In the tabernacle picture, the miracle story is limited to the appearance of the fireball, its fire-rays here emphasize the completion of the transformation during the elevation. The tabernacle door, visible on Sundays and holy days (feast days), not only points out the Eucharistic function of the winged altar, but also shows the believers’ participation in Christ’s redemptive work. Above this is a niche with a statuette of Christ blessing.
Cologne: Cathedral – triptych
of Klarenaltar (open) on left side, toward front (fr.wikipedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Retable_ouverture_simple.jpg).
When the altarpiece is open on Sundays and feast days, the tabernacle in the central box is flanked by shutters with 24 small paintings. The upper row of shutters contains 12 paintings with scenes from the Passion of Christ; left outer shutter: Mount of Olives, Kiss of Judas, Christ before Pontius Pilate; left inner shutter: Flagellation. Coronation of Thorns, Carrying the Cross; right inner shutter: Descent from the Cross, Entombment, Resurrection; right outer shutter: Christ in Limbo, Christ in front of Mary Magdalene, Ascension. The lower row contains 12 scenes from Christ’s childhood; left outer shutter: Annunciation, Visitation, On the Road to Bethlehem; left inner shutter: Mary and Joseph in Adoration in front of the Cradle, The Announcement to the Shepherds, Mary and Joseph Bathing Jesus; right inner shutter: Adoration of the Magi, Temple Presentation, Flight to Egypt; right outer shutter: Massacre of Herod, Return from Egypt, Jesus in the Temple. The backgrounds are golden and decorated with thin garlands of foliage.
Cologne: Cathedral – left outer
shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (open) (fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maître anonyme
— Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur: objet 05171943 – image file
rba_c002798 (JPEG file without extension), Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48141487).
Cologne: Cathedral – left
inner shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (open) (fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maître
anonyme — Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur www.bildindex.de/obj05171943.html
Klarenaltar, Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48162003).
Cologne: Cathedral – right
inner shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (open) (fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maître
anonyme 1350/1360 — Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur
www.bildindex.de/obj05171943.html Klarenaltar, Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48162002).
Cologne: Cathedral – right outer
shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (open) (fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maître anonyme
1350/1360 — Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur
www.bildindex.de/obj05171943.html Klarenaltar, Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48162002).
Cologne: Cathedral – triptych
of Klarenaltar (wide open) on left side, toward front (By Frank Vincentz - Own
work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19416515).https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retable_des_Clarisses.
When the altarpiece is wide open, the tabernacle is the central box is flanked, along the tops of the side panels by figures of the 12 apostles and along the bottoms of the panels by reliquary busts of the 12 companions of St. Ursula, from around 1350.
When the altarpiece is closed, the outside of the first pair of wings, visible on working days, shows the figures of six male and female saints standing in front of a red background decorated with gold patterns in two rows of painted tracery arcades. They are separated by simple columns and surmounted by tri-lobed arches bearing inscriptions with the names of the individual figures. The 12 characters all stand at an angle, facing the tabernacle shrine in the middle, which is used to store the hosts for Mass. With weakly curved, slender bodies, they represent the “soft style” of international gothic.
On the left side, in the upper row,
are three representatives of the Franciscan order, recognizable by their robes,
are painted: from left to right, they are the scholar Anthony of Padua, then
Louis d’Anjou, bishop of Toulouse, and finally Francis of Assisi. Below that
are three women: Mary Magdalene (with her container for anointing), Elizabeth
of Thuringia (giving to the poor, exemplifying the ideal of poverty cherished
by the Franciscan order), and Clare of Assisi (founder of the Poor Clares, holding
in her hand a monstrance in which a consecrated host is visible).
Cologne: Cathedral – left
exterior shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (closed) on left side, toward front
(fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maître anonyme — Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur:
objet 05171943 – image file rba_c002799 (JPEG file without extension),
Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48141026).
On the right side, in the upper row, are John the Baptist (carrying the Lamb), Nicholas Myre (as bishop), and St. Lawrence od Rome (holding the grill of his martyrdom). Below that are three women: Catherine of Alexandria (carrying the wheel of torture and the sword), Agnes of Rome (whose attribute is the Lamb), and St. Barbe (recognizable by the model of the tower she carries).
Cologne: Cathedral – right
exterior shutter of triptych of Klarenaltar (closed) on left side, toward front
(fr.wikipedia.org. Par Maîtres anonymes — Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur:
objet 05171943 – image file rba_c002800a.jpg, Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48141027).
Due to its new location in 1894, the altarpiece was given a back side, which was completed in 1905 by the Utrecht artist Wilhelm Mengelberg. It is one of the latest Neo-Gothic features in the Cathedral. In the center of the canvas panel, in an almond-shaped framing, it the Holy Trinity, surrounded by seraphim and symbols of the world. In the corners, decorated with tracery, are the four Evangelists with their symbols.
Cologne: Cathedral – back side of that triptych with Trinity in center and 4
Evangelists in corners (By Maître anonyme - Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur:
object obj05171943 – image file rba_c002802 (JPEG file without extension),
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48263529).
10:27 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – bas-relief of Adoration of
the Mother and Child (by 3 Kings?), with the reliquary of the Three Kings and a
bishop in a crowd in the left background. in left transept.
10:28 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – Utrecht Madonna and Child
on pillar at left front of nave, with adoring figures of St. Andrew and Konrad
Kuyn at left.
The Epitaph of the Cathedral Master Builder Konrad Kuyn (Epitaf des
Dombaumeisters Konrad Kuyn) is on a pillar in the ambulatory of the north
transept. The Latin epitaph is freely translated: “In the year of the Lord
1469, the 18th day of January, the honorable man Master Konrad Kuyn, master
builder of this church died, whose soul rests in peace. Amen.” Above the
epitaph, the master builder and sculptor Kuyn died in 1469. Kuyn, kneeling on
the right, turns to the Virgin under the canopy, to which he is recommended by
St. Andreas (Andrew). St. Andrew is the
work of a successor from Kuyn’s sculptors’ workshop. The Madonna is from the Utrecht
workshop.
Cologne: Cathedral – Utrecht Madonna and Child on pillar at left front of nave, with adoring figures of St. Andrew and Konrad Kuyn at left (By HOWI - Horsch, Willy - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24993405).
Cologne: Cathedral – Utrecht Madonna and Child on pillar at left front of nave (By HOWI - Horsch, Willy - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24993542).
Cologne: Cathedral – kneeling figures of St. Andrew and Konrad Kuyn, above epitaph of Konrad Kuyn, at left of Utrecht Madonna and Child at left front of nave (By HOWI - Horsch, Willy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24950377).
MT 10:22 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – Shrine of the Three
Kings on high altar, behind glass (from left side aisle).
The relics of the Three Kings
(Magi) were brought to Cologne in 1164 by Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa. The Shrine of the Three Kings (Dreikönigenschrein)
on the high altar is a huge Romanesque reliquary made in 1181-1220 by Nicholas
of Verdun, the greatest goldsmith of the day, to hold the relics. The shrine is
in the shape of a basilica, made of bronze and silver, gilded and ornamented
with architectonic details, figurative sculpture, enamels, and filigree plates
with gemstones. The images on the shrine illustrate the history of the world as
described in the Bible (the history of salvation from the beginning of time to
the Last Judgment) , with the Epiphany given prominence. In medieval times, it
was planned to erect the shrine in the crossing of the Cathedral. Today, it
rises behind the medieval high altar and forms the center of the Gothic
Cathedral that was built to house it.
10:30 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – Shrine of the Three Kings
on high altar, behind glass (from ambulatory behind altar).
10:31 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – Shrine of the Three Kings
on high altar, behind glass (from right side aisle).
10:32 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – triptych of Altar if the
Magi on right side, toward front.
The Altar of the Magi or Altarpiece
of the Three Kings or Altarpiece of
the Patron Saints of Cologne (Altar der Stadtpatrone) is dedicated to the
Three Kings, the patrons of Cologne. Its central panel is “Die Anbetung der
Heiligen Drei Könige” (The Adoration of the Holy Three Kings) by the Cologne
painter Stephan Lochner and is one of the
most important works of the Cologne school of Late-Gothic painters. It
was originally made for the Ratskapelle (Council Chapel) of the city of Cologne
around 1442. After it had been hidden from French troops in 1794 and the
profanation of the Council Chapel in 1810, it was transferred to the Cathedral.
Today, this altarpiece is in center of the Cathedral’s Marienkapelle (St,
Mary’s Chapel).Mass is celebrated here every day; so the altar is constantly in
liturgical use. Even today, the wings of the altar are closed during Advent and
Lent.
Cologne: Cathedral – triptych in Altar of the Magi on right side, toward front is called the Altarpiece of the Three Kings (en.wikipedia.org. By Stefan Lochner - Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15497340).
Cologne: Cathedral – central panel of triptych in Altar of the Magi on right side, toward front is called the Altarpiece of the Three Kings (en.wikipedia.org. By Stefan Lochner - wikimedia commons, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2237500).
MT 10:23 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – triple stained-glass
window (Elder Bible Window in center ) in apse, directly behind main altar.
The
Older Bible Window (Älteres Bibelfenster) in the Dreikönigenkapelle (Three Kings Chapel) was created around
1260. This double-lancet window in the Chapel of the Magi is not only the
oldest window in the building gut, as the axis window, it is also the highest
ranking window in the Cathedral. Using pairs of images, it relates the story of
salvation by creating links between events of the Old and New Testaments. The
images in the right-hand lancet focus on Christological episodes in the New
Testament. Surrounded by tendril interlace and flanked by Old Testament
prophets, they relate the story of salvation from the Birth of the Virgin to
the Ascension of Christ. The left-hand lancet features corresponding
typological events from the Old Testament.
There is also a (younger) Bible Window, from 1280, located in the Cathedral’s Chapel of St. Stephen.
MT 10:24 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – stained-glass window in
Marienkapelle (in apse).
10:34 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – stained-glass window (Window
of St. Stephen) at right front (with stoning of St. Stephen).
The Window of St. Stephen (Stephanusfenster) dates from 1848, one of
the Bavarian Windows. The middle picture shows the stoning of Stephen, the
first Christian martyr. Above that are two scenes from his life and busts of
saints who were especially revered in Cologne. In the bottom area can be seen
St. Gregory of Spoleto, Apollinaris, Pope Sylvester, and Maternus, as well as
the Bavarian coat of arms and the founder inscription of King Ludwig I from
1848.
10:34 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Window
of the Pentecost) on right side.
The Window of Pentecost (Pfingstenfenster) dates from 1848. The middle
picture shows the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, which is
considered the founding day of the Church. That is why Peter is shown receiving
the keys above the main picture. The statues in the architectural frame embody
the four cardinal virtues: strength, wisdom, knowledge, and moderation. At the
bottom art the four Latin Fathers of the Church: Ambrose, Gregory, Jerome, and
Augustine. The Bavarian coat of arms and the founder inscription of King Ludwig
I from 1848 are attached to the upper corners of the main picture.
10:35 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Window
of Lamentation) on right side.
The Window of Lamentation (Beweinungsfenster) dates from 1847. The main
picture shows the body of Christ taken down from the cross and laid across His
Mother’s lap. The Bavarian coat of arms and the founder inscription of King
Ludwig I, from 1847, are attached to the upper corners of the main picture. Depicted
above that scene is the Last Supper. The two small pictures on either side of
that describe encounters with the risen Christ: on the left, Christ appears to
Mary Magdalene and, on the right, to the Apostle Thomas. At the bottom are the
four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
10:35 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (Adoration
of the Magi) on right side (with Adoration of Mother and Child by Three Kings
and shepherds).
The Adoration Window (Anbetungs-Fenster), is from 1846. The main
picture shows the Adoration of the Magi and Shepherds. The Bavarian coat of
arms and the founder inscription of King Ludwig I, from 1846, are attached to
the lower corners of the main picture. The row above the main picture depicts
the Annunciation in the two center panels; to the left are Adam and Eve,
biblical ancestors of Christ and to the right is the Immaculate Mary. In the
row at the bottom are the four great prophets who foretold the coming of the
Redeemer: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. This window was installed as
part of the 600-year anniversary of working on the Cathedral. It is sometimes
called (less correctly) Window of the Adoration of the Magi, since it is
another window that pays tribute to the Three Kings.
10:35 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – next stained-glass window (St.
John the Baptist Window) at right rear.
The St. John the Baptist Window (St. John’s Window, Johannesfenster) dates
from 1847 and was the first of the Bavarian Windows, all of which relate central
events of the story of Redemption, from west to east. The main picture shows
the preaching of John the Baptist in the desert. Above that is the story of his
birth in two pictures. The upper medallions depict local Cologne saints and
city patrons. In the lower medallions are Christian rulers.
Then we rejoined the Viking tour guide in front of the Cathedral, and he led us around to the south side of the Cathedral, where he showed us the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen fountain with statues of the Schneidersfrau and the Heinzelmännchen and explained the legend.
10:50 AM – Cologne: Heinzelmännchenbrunnen, with our tour
guide in foreground.
According to legend, the Heinzelmännchen (brownies or elves)
were Hausgeister (house spirits) in Cologne. They did leftover work of the lazy
citizens at night when the people were asleep. This allowed the residents of
Cologne to be very lazy during the day. However, if the Heinzelmännchen were
seen doing this, they would disappear forever. The citizens thankfully accepted
this help, but their zealous supporting work came to an end when a curious
tailor’s wife tried to discover the unknown helpers in the night. She scattered
peas onto the floor of the workshop to make the little people slip and fall,
Infuriated, they disappeared and never returned and, from that time on, the
citizens of Cologne had to do all their own work.
In addition to their small size,
typical attributes including a pointed red cap and their diligence put them in
a group with goblins, gnomes, and dwarfs. There are two explanations for the
origin of their name: (1) Heinzelmännlein was a name for the mandrake, which
was used as a house spirit; (2) Heinz of Heinzenkunst were names of mining
devices for draining water, and the operator of such devices could have been
called Heinzelmänner. And, of course, the German diminutive suffix -chen means “little.”
The pattern of the Cologne legend
may have been the story of “Des kleinen Volkes Hochzeitsfest auf der Eilenburg”
(The Little Folks’ Wedding Feast on the Eilenburg) in the folktale collection
of the Brothers Grimm, first passed on orally in 1816 and first recorded in
writing in Cologne in 1826 by Ernst Weyer. A popular poem (ballad) of 1836 by
August Kopisch transported the originally Rheinland saga from the Siebengebirge
region (southwest of Bonn) to Cologne. It dealt with the ancient dream of
mankind to no longer have to work.
The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen fountain was built in 1897-1900 near the
Cathedral and opposite Cologne’s oldest brewery, the Früh am Dom. The original
sculpture of the Schneidersfrau (tailor’s wife), replaced here by a better
weather-resisting copy, is the Cologne City Museum (Arsenal). Above the
circular fountain shell rises a double staircase on which stands the
beautifully depicted tailor’s wife with a lantern in her hand. The shines it on
the brownies who have fallen down on both sides. Beneath her at the central
pillar of the fountain, on a ribbon of tape lying above a tailor’s coat of
arms, is the central phrase of the poem by Kopisch: “Neigierig was des
Schneiders Weib” (Curious was the tailor’s wife). The massive parapet wall of
the actual well is adorned with eight reliefs. Six of them show the individual
work of the nocturnal helpers; from left to right are the carpenter, the cabinetmaker,
the baker, the butcher, the innkeeper, and finally the tailor. In between,
there are two other relief plates with excerpts from the poem in Gothic script.
At the back of the fountain, an owl sits on a book and holds a magnifying glass
in its claws. It stands for wisdom; the book and the magnifying glass point to
the work of Kopisch.
10:51 AM – Cologne: Heinzelmännchenbrunnen – reliefs (to
right of fountain) of little folk working (mild telephoto 49 mm).
10:52 AM – Cologne: Heinzelmännchenbrunnen – reliefs (to
left of fountain) of little folk working (mild telephoto 49 mm).
10:52 AM – Cologne: Heinzelmännchenbrunnen – statue of the
Schneidersfrau with lantern and little folk at bottom of stairs (mild telephoto
49 mm).
“Once
upon a time, how comfortable it was in Cologne with the Heinzelmännchen! For,
if one was lazy, one lay down on the bench and took it easy. Then, at night,
before one thought of it, came the little men and swarmed and clattered and rattled
and plucked and tugged and hopped and trotted and polished and scraped, and
before a lazybones awakened, all of his day’s work was already done!”
[Stanzas
about how the Heinzelmännchen helped the various tradesmen.]
“Curious
was the tailor’s wife and makes this amusement for herself: strews down peas
the other night, the Heinzelmännchen come gently: one of them now slips and
falls into the house; they slip from the steps, they fall into vats, they fall
with noises, they shout and scream and curse. She jumps down in the commotion
with a light—hush, hush, hush, hush—all disappear.”
Following
the story is more German text, which translates:
”This
ancient Cologne story, which Ernst Weyer first set to paper in 1826 and which
August Kopisch expressed in verse, the Beautification Society took as an
occasion to erect a memorial to the old writer on the 100th birthday of August
Kopisch.
“The
brothers Edmund and Heinrich Renard, who were artistically versatile, received
the commission to design the fountain. Already in 1901, the fountain was
completed in the form of the Cologne Neo-Gothic.
“The
tailor’s wife was already replaced in the 1990s. The original is displayed in
the Cologne City Museum.
“In
the framework of a lively patronage, the Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG has
had the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen restored in 2017/2018.
“The
memorial is one of the most important symbols of the City of Cologne.”
11:04 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – south side.
Although the south façade (south transept façade) was planned in the Middle
Ages, only the foundation was completed. There is no known drawing of the
original plan. Therefore, the 19th- following the architecture of the south
tower. century Cathedral architect Ernst Friedrich Zwirner developed a new
design. The construction of the south façade with sculptures stretched from
1851 to 1869.
10:59 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – entrance and façade at
south end of transept.
The guide said that this part was used as a church
before the rest of the Cathedral was built. He said restoration was done by replacing parts of the stonework rather than cleaning them.
10:59 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – entrance in south façade
(telephoto 119 m).
11:10 AM – Cologne: part of Roman sewer system.
“Removed
and raised section of the main northern sewer of the Roman city. Runs from west
to east at a depth of 9 meters underneath Kleine Budengasse. Accessible from
the Praetorium below the Town Hall.”
11:11 AM – Cologne: our tour group heading down street
toward octagonal tower of Rathaus.
The Rathaus (City Hall) has an irregular shape created by successive
modifications and is a real jumble of various architectural styles. Its core is
14th-century Gothic. In the first phase, around 1330, a wing with a Hansa-Saal
(Hanseatic Hall) was built, decorated with Gothic sculptures of heroes and
prophets. Its irregular octagonal tower was added in 1407-14, in a more
flamboyant Gothic style. In the 1570s, a graceful loggia, a rare example of
Renaissance architecture in the Rhineland, was provided as a frontispiece. In
front of the entrance to the Rathaus is a glass pyramid sheltering the Mikwe, a
Jewish ritual bath house dating from about 1160, the only remnant of the ghetto
that was razed soon after the expulsion order of 1624. A short distance away are
the foundations of the Praetorium, the Roman governor’s palace, and the Römischer
Kanal (Roman Canal), a surprisingly elegant vaulted sewer some 100 m long.
There are over 100 sculpted figures
(currently 124) on the tower, all of which have something to do with the
history of the city. Interesting are not only the figures, but also the
pedestals on which they stand.
11:12 AM – Cologne: Rathaus – right corner at base of north
side of tower, with statues; our guide at bottom right.
11:12 AM (Cropped) – Cologne: Rathaus – right corner at
base of north side of tower, with statues (the 4 nearest the corner labeled,
left-to-right, as Maximilian I, Friedrich III, Urban VI, and Rud[olf I], and
above them are [Gott]fried Hagen, Gerhard Overstolz, Matthias Overstolz, and
Ger[hard] von [Riele].
Maximilian
I,
of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor in 1493-1519. He was the son
of Emperor Friedrich III and ruled jointly with his father for the last 10
years of the father’s reign (1483-1493).
Friedrich
III
was the Habsburg Archduke of Austria who was King of Germany (formally King of
the Romans, as Friedrich IV) in 1440-1493 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1452-1493.
He was the first Emperor of the House of Habsburg and the longest-reigning
German monarch.
Rudolf
I,
also known as Rudolf von Habsburg, was King of Germany (formally King of the
Romans) in 1273-1291. He was one of several rulers crowned with these titles,
but not emperor (although they styled themselves as such) during the Interregnum in the Holy Roman Empire
after the death of the Hohenstaufen emperor Friedrich II in 1250. His election
in 1273 marked the end of the Interregnum
Gottfried
Hagen
was related to the Overstolz family and wrote the first medieval chronicle of
Cologne. His writing focused on the conflict between the citizens of Cologne
and the archbishop-governor Konrad von Hochstaden and his successor Engelbert
II von Falkenburg. He was a great supported of the struggle for independence
against the archbishops.
Matthias
Overstolz
was the leader of a party that was in constant struggle with the archbishop and
his followers. After one such struggle, Overstolz was taken captive but managed
to escape. Shortly after the archbishop managed to regain control of Cologne,
the people overthrew the leading families (including the Overstolz) and they
lost their offices. Then a new archbishop gave everyone their offices back.
However, during a battle in a renewed feud with the new archbishop, Overstolz
was mortally wounded. Nevertheless, this battle heralded the end of the rule of
the archbishops in Cologne.
Gerhard
Overstolz,
the son of Matthias, was the commander of the Cologne troops at the Battle of
Worringen against the archbishop, which took place 20 years after the death of
his father. At the end of the battle, the archbishop was captured, but one of
the Cologne dead was Gerhard.
11:17 AM – Cologne: Rathaus – around that corner at base
of west side of tower, with statues (the 4 nearest the corner labeled [Rud]olf
I, Friedrich II, Innocenz III, and Otto IV, and above them [Ger]hard [von]
Riele, Konrad von Hochstaden, Gerhard [Unmaze], and [Sela Jude].
Friedrich
II,
of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King
of Germany (formally King of the Romans) in 1212-1220 and Holy Roman Emperor in
1220-1250. He was also King of Sicily (1198-1250), since his mother was Queen
of Sicily, and King of Jerusalem (1225-1228), when he gained control of
Jerusalem during the 6th Crusade and styled himself as king. Thus, his reign
saw the Holy Roman Empire achieve its greatest territorial extent, stretching
from Sicily, through Italy, and all the way through Germany. However, the
Papacy, which was hemmed in by Friedrich’s lands, became his enemy; he was
excommunicated four times, and his dynasty collapsed soon after his death. His
predecessor as emperor was Otto IV.
Pope
Innocent III
(German: Innocenz III) was pope in 1198-1216. He was one of the most powerful
and influential medieval popes. He exerted a wide influence over the Christian
states of Europe, claiming supremacy over all of Europe’s kings. He greatly
extended the scope of the Crusades, directing crusades against Muslim Spain and
the holy Land as well as against the Cathars in southern France.
Otto
IV
was one of two rival Kings of Germany from 1198 on and sole king from 1208 on;
he was the only German king of the Welf dynasty, a family that had always been
opposed to the House of Hohenstaufen. He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until
he was forced to abdicate in 1215. He had incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent
III and was excommunicated in 1210.
Our guide pointed out something unusual about the sculpture on the pedestal at the base of the statue of the Archbishop [Konrad von Hochstaden] and the statue of the Emperor [Friedrich II] directly below it; Don didn’t catch what he said, but thought this figure seemed to be “mooning” those below.
11:17 AM (Cropped) – Cologne: Rathaus – above base of west
side of tower, with statues (the 3 nearest the corner labeled [Ger]hard [von]
Riele, Konrad von Hochstaden, Gerhard [Unmaze], and [Sela Jude].
Gerhard von Riele (or Master Gerhard) was considered one of the great builders of the West and is mentioned in a document from 1257. He completed the eastern arm of the Cologne Cathedral. He probably died between 1258 and 1261 and, according to legend, fell to his death from a scaffold. Otherwise, little is known about him.
Konrad von Hochstaden was Archbishop of Cologne from 1238 to 1261; he received his archbishop’s insignia from Emperor Friedrich II. For the first few months of his reign, the new archbishop sided with the Emperor in his conflict with Pope Gregory IX, but then went over to the papal side after the Emperor’s excommunication in 1239. When Pope Innocent IV deposed Friedrich II in 1245, it was chiefly due to the influence of Konrad that the pope’s candidate was elected king. Konrad was the one who laid the cornerstone for the Cologne Cathedral in 1248.
Gerhard Unmaze was a long-distance merchant and customs master who earned his huge fortune through trading and commercial money lending.
Sela Jude was the wife of alderman Daniel Jude, and after his death she donated a plot of land next to the Dominican Monastery of Cologne for the construction of a convent.
Although Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_von_Hochstaden
and several other sources have another interpretation, based on clearer photos,
that the figure on the pedestal below Konrad von Hochstaden is performing an even more questionable action, none of them
can explain why.
Cologne: Rathaus – statues of
Gerhard von Rield, Konrad von Hochstaden, and Gerhard Unmaze (en.wikipedia.org;
By © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7813121).
11:18 AM – Cologne: Rathaus – west side of tower, above
statues around that corner.
11:21 AM – Cologne: Rathaus – opposite (east) side of tower, with clock, above a modern addition.
11:46 AM – Cologne: Rathaus – view of tower from near
Brauhaus Sion brewery (on right) on Unter Taschenmacher street near Cathedral
(telephoto 105 mm).
Next, the guide took us to Groß St. Martin Church, of which we saw only the exterior on one side. This church is located between the Rathaus and the Rhine.
11:29 AM – Cologne: Groß St. Martin Church – apse, tower
with turrets, and north side.
Groß
St. Martin Church (Great
St. Martin’s Church), with its attractive triangular presbytery and vast tower
dominating the Fischmarkt (Fish Market), was founded in the late 12th century
for monks of the Benedictine Order from Scotland and Ireland. For nearly 600
years, its tower, surrounded by four turrets, was the dominant feature of the
Cologne skyline, not being usurped by the Cathedral’s spires until the late 9th
century. The rest of the building seems rather truncated for such a splendid
adornment, although the interior has been returned to its original simple form.
The Romans had built a sports arena
on this site with a swimming pool, the remains of which have been uncovered under
the church’s crypt.
Just
before the end of our guided tour, there was a brief rain, the only rain we would have on this entire trip.
Then, the guide took us round to the north side of the Cathedral.
The construction of the north façade began in the 14th century.
The framework on either side of the eastern (left) portal had already reached a
height of about 5 meters. The Cathedral master builder Zwirner developed the
plan for the neo-Gothic north façade built in 1843-55, with some
simplifications compared to the south façade. Already around 1900, there was
alarming weathering of the sandstone. Added to this was serious damage during
WWII. In 1962-82, the façade was largely renovated. The architectural forms
were faithfully repeated, but the sculptures were freely designed in the eastern
(left) area. Only in the middle and on the west were they copied exactly in
1972.
11:58 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – north side doors (center
and right), again with restored (replaced) statues and other renovation work
underway.
11:58 AM – Cologne: Cathedral – north side doors (left and
center), again with restored (replaced) statues and other renovation work
underway.
Having some time before then, we went back into the Cathedral, where we discovered that a “Mittagsgebet im Kölner Dom” (Midday Prayer in the Cologne Cathedral) was about to begin at noon. We quickly went into the area in the central nave roped off for this service and received a program in several languages, including English, but we followed the German version. The service lasted from noon to 12:30, and, as soon as we exited the Cathedral, we found Sebastian there already waiting for us.
We told Sebastian what we had already seen on the guided tour, and he showed us some other sights as we walked through the old town talking with him, catching up on his life since we had last visited him in Cologne in 2007, even though we had kept in touch by Facebook.
As we headed to the southwest of the Cathedral, the first place to which he took us was the Minoritenkirche Mariä Empfängnis.
1:36 PM – Cologne: Minoritenkirche Mariä Empfängnis – façade
and right side (taken when we passed it again later).
“Beginning
of construction 1245/48. Dedication of choir 1260. Langhaus [long house, i.e.,
nave] under Archbishop Siegfried von Westerburg (1275-1297).
“Windows
of the west façade 14th century. 1850 to 1863 and after the destruction of
World War II thoroughly restored and rebuilt.
"Transept-less
basilica with extended choir. Burial church of the learned Minorite monk
Johannes Duns Scotus (1265-1308), modern sarcophagus by J. Höntgesberg) and the
Gesellenvater [Journeymen’s Father] Adolf Kolping (1813-1865).”
The Minoritenkirche Mariä Empfängnis (Minorite Church of Mary’s
Conception) is a modest Gothic Franciscan church established in the 13th-14th
centuries. It is an elegant three-naved basilica without a tower. There are
historic furnishings and a 14th-century shrine with the remains of Johannes
Duns Scotus, a Scottish-born Minorite theologian and a leading intellectual in
early 14th-century Cologne. Ironically, his name is the origin of the word
“dunce”: his defense of traditional religious orthodoxies so enraged his
radical fellow countrymen at the time of the Reformation that they used his
name as a personification of stupidity.
Minorites were Franciscan friars,
so named because they regarded themselves as of humbler rank than members of
other orders.
12:52 PM – Cologne: Minoritenkirche Mariä Empfängnis –
view from rear of nave to main altar.
Next, he took us to Wallfahrtskirche St. Maria in der Kupfergasse.
1:12 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – sign in
German and English, donated by the Lions Club of Cologne.
“The discalced Carmelite nuns from the ‘s
Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, resident in Cologne since about 1630, had this
convent [German: a cloister] built on the site of the Neuenaher Hof (tower
remains) around 1660. To house the miracle-working image of the ‘Black Madonna’,
a chapel was built, 1673-75, which followed the then much revered model of the
‘Casa Santa’ (the so-called house of the holy family in Nazareth) in Loreto,
Italy. The single nave convent [cloister] church built in 1705-11 incorporated
this Loreto Chapel.
“From
1803, a parish church; in 1873, an extension [by means of] of a low side nave
on the west side was made. The building in flemish [German niederländisch,
Netherlands] baroque style was badly damaged during the Second World War and
the elaborate fittings, except the miracle-working image and the crucifix of
the plague (mid 14th century) were lost. By 1952, after [After] the church had
firstly been rebuilt with a flat ceiling [in 1952], the vaults, roof and roof
turret were then reconstructed in 1964. The Loreto Chapel was rebuilt in a
simpler version. 2002, restoration and painting of the interior of the single
nave church [hall church] to baroque models. Since 1967, the Machabäer
[Maccabees] Altar stands in the chancel, built in 1717 by Johann Franz von Helmont
and Johannes van Damm for the church of the same name which was torn down in
the 19th century. The rococo pulpit which features a depiction of Jonas (18th
century) comes from St. Andreas. The forecourt of the church was designed by
Karl Band who also directed the rebuilding of the church and convent
buildings.”
1:12 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – another sign
in German for “Wallfahrtskirche St. Maria in der Kupfergasse, Köln” (Pilgrimage
Church of St. Mary in the Copper Street, Cologne) with a schedule of events
during the upcoming “Wallfahrt zur Schwarzen Mutter Gottes” (Pilgrimage to the
Black Madonna) 2-9 September 2018.
1:16 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – open
door leading to locked gate with iron bars.
1:13 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – view
(through bars of locked church) from rear of nave to main altar in apse.
1:14 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – view
(through bars of locked church) of main altar in apse (telephoto 93 mm).
1:14 PM – Cologne: St. Maria in der Kupfergasse – old
confessional at left rear of nave (through bars of locked church) from rear of
nave to main altar in apse.
1:20 PM – Cologne: building with winged automobile at top
of gable (Sebastian remembered that Don had taken a photo of this in 2007).
1:24 PM – Cologne: new building build around façade of old
building (Sebastian remembered that Don had taken a photo of this in 2007, when
it was under construction).
1:27 PM – Cologne: approaching Cathedral west façade and
towers at end of street.
1:27 PM – Cologne: Cathedral west façade and towers and
fountain in front of it in Frankenplatz square.
Cologne: Bier-Esel – front
exterior (de.wikipedia.org. Von Neulich im Roxy Kino - Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12766569).
Bier-Esel (meaning
Beer-Donkey) is the oldest Muschelhaus (mussel house) in Cologne, where one can
enjoy the famous mussel specialties with the beloved Sünner Kölsch beer. It is
a well-known Gasthaus (inn), more than 700 years old, in the Altstadt-Nord
district. Already in 1297, a restaurant was located on this site. By 1414, it
was known by the name of the related brewery “Zum Donel,” and in 1476 the name
of the brewery changed to “Wilhelm zum Esel” (William the Donkey). In 1892, the
brewery and distillery of the Sünner brothers acquired the building.
Cologne: Bier-Esel sign over
door (de.wikipedia.org. Von Neulich im Roxy Kino - Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12766531).
Kölsch beer is a
specialty beer only brewed in Cologne. The term “Kölsch” was first officially
used in 1918 to describe the beer that had been brewed by the Sünner brewery
since 1906; today it is produced by 13 breweries in and around Cologne. It is a
light ale and is served in the traditional 0.2-liter Kölsch glasses that are
tall and cylindrical. You can drink the straw-yellow Kölsch in an original
“Brauhaus” (traditional German pub where the been is brewed). There, the
waiter, called the “Kobes,” will serve one after another if you don’t say “no”
and put the coaster on top of your glass.
We all ordered Kösche Suurbrode (local dialect for Sauerbraten) with Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) and Apfelmus (applesauce). MT and Sebastian had Sünner Kösch beer (two 7-oz glasses before they told the waiter to stop). Don ordered water, which came “mit Gas” (sparkling); MT took that one, and Don ordered another “ohne Gas” (without gas).
MT 1:50 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel – MT’s Sünner Kösch beer coaster.
Sünner Kösch beer coaster; the crest says “ Gegr. 1830” (Founded 1830) and
ribbon under it says “älteste Kölsch Brauerei der Welt” (oldest Kölsch Brewery
in the World).
2:38 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel – Don’s “Kösches Wasser
[ohne].”
MT 1:50 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel – Sebastian at our table.
MT 2:08 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel – MT, Don, and Sebastian
at our table.
2:45 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel
– MT’s Suurbrode with potato dumplings and a side of applesauce.
MT 2:39 PM – Cologne: Bier-Esel – MT’s Suurbrode with
potato dumplings.
Rheinischer Sauerbraten or, as one
says in Cologne, Suurbrode is
marinated for several days in vinegar, water or wine, onions, and spices such
as bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns and then braised. There are many
variations, although the traditional pot roast was made from horsemeat.
However, the consumption of horsemeat has dropped so much over the last few
decades that the Suurbrode is now almost exclusively made from beef.
Traditional side dishes are “rude Kappes” (German Rotkohl, red cabbage),
“Ädäppelsklöös” (German Kartoffelklöße, potato dumplings) and/or “Appelkompott”
(German Apfelmus, applesauce).
After lunch, we passed by the home of the famous 4711 “Kölnisches Wasser” (cologne).
3:30 PM – Cologne: House no. 4711, now at Glockengasse No.
4.
4711 is a traditional
German Eau de Cologne by Mäurer & Wirtz. Because it has been produced in
Cologne since at least 1799, it is allowed to use the geographical indication
“Original Eau de Cologne.” The brand has been expanded to various other
perfumes and products besides the original “Echt Kölnisch Wasser” (Genuine
Cologne Water). The original 4711 store at Glockengasse 4 in Cologne is a
popular tourist attraction.
In the early 18th century, Johann
Maria Farina (1685-1766), an Italian living in Cologne, created a fragrance he
called “Eau de Cologne.” Over the next century, the fragrance became
increasingly popular.
According to legend, in 1792, a
Carthusian monk made a wedding gift for the merchant Wilhelm Mühlens
(1762-1841): the secret recipe of a so-called “aqua mirabilis” (miracle water)
for internal and external use. Mühlens then founded a small factory in
Cologne’s Glockengasse street and established the first “Eau de Cologne” as a
remedy. In 1810, Napoleon’s troops occupying Cologne decreed that all recipes
for medications for internal use list their ingredients on the label. Mühlens
didn’t want to disclose his secret recipe, so he began to market his miracle
water solely as a fragrance. Then the Farina family accused Mühlens of using
the name without authorization. Their firm “Johann Maria Farina gegenüber dem
Jülichs-Platz (across from the Jülichs Square) feared confusion between the
products. After Mühlens lost the dispute in 1832, his company was named “Eau de
Cologne & Parfümerie Fabrik Glockengasse No, 4711 gegenüber der Pferdepost
von Ferd. Mühlens in Köln am Rhein” (Eau de Cologne & Perfume Factory
Glockengasse No. 4711 across from the Pferdepost [stagecoach station or
stable?] of Ferd. Mühlens in Cologne on the Rhine). In 1990, the firm’s name
was shortened to “Mühlens GmbH & Co. KG,” but the product kept the now
famous “No. 4711” in the label. In 1994, the Mühlens family sold the firm and
it passed through several owners, including the American firm Procter &
Gamble, until it was sold in 2006 to the perfume company Mäurer & Wirtz in
Aachen (Germany).
House
No. 4711:
In 1794, when French troops occupied Cologne, the city council gave orders to number
all houses in the city sequentially, and a house on Glockengasse was given the
number 4711. In 1811, the continuous house numbering was changed to a system of
numbering streets separately, as is common today. In 1854, the Mühlens firm
moved from Glockengasse 12 (which had been assigned the number 4711 in 1794)
into a newly constructed commercial building with a Neo-Gothic façade at
Glockengasse 26-28.
When we told Sebastian about our guided tour that morning, we mentioned that we had only seen part of the exterior of the Groß St. Martin Church. So he took us back there, only to discover that the church was closed on Mondays. We took a few more photos, since it had been quite overcast in the morning.
3:44 PM – Cologne: Groß St. Martin Church – semicircular apse
(north part of clover-leaf choir), tower with turrets, and north side.
“Constructed
from 1150 as a Benedictine abbey church on the site of former Roman storehouses
of the 2nd century and previous churches dating from the early Middle Ages.
Completed in the mid 13th century. Spire dates from the mid 15th century.
Parish church ever since 1802.
“Clover-leaf
choir* with five-part crossing tower, basilica-like nave. Monastery formerly to
the north, parish church of St. Brigiden formerly to the south. 1942-1945
suffered severe damage. Re-opening in 1985. Site of excavations beneath the
church.”
*A cloverleaf choir is a choir consisting of three approximately
equal-sized, semicircular apses on three sides of an (inscribed) square around the
back side of the main altar of a large church, forming the shape of a
cloverleaf.
Cloverleaf choir floorplan
(de.wikipedia.org. Von FordPrefect42 using GFDL-Material by
de:Benutzer:Beckstet - adapted from de:Bild:Zentral_vs_Laengsbau.gif by
de:Benutzer:Beckstet, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=799177).
In German, this is called a Kleebatttchor (cloverleaf choir) or more often Dreikonchenchor (literally three-conch choir) or Trikonchos, since each of the three apses resembles the shape of a conch shell. Some sources refer to this as a trefoil eastern enclosure, since apses are traditionally at the east end of churches. This style originated in Romanesque churches of Cologne, based on the model of late Roman funerary chapels.
With Sebastian, we tried to find a view of the main façade of the church, but ended up on the apse end (east side), which seemed to be surrounded by houses.
3:53 PM – Cologne: Groß St. Martin Church – semicircular
apses (south and east parts of clover-leaf choir) and tower with turrets.
The houses in the surrounding Martinsviertel (Martin’s Quarter) are
post-WWII, but were built to historic designs and with a medieval street
layout.
3:53 PM – Cologne: Groß St. Martin Church - tower with
turrets above semicircular apses (mild telephoto 63 mm).
3:59 PM – Cologne: Rhine, with Hohenzollernbrücke
(Hohenzollern Bridge) in foreground; Viking Skadi docked by the far bridge,
Zoobrücke (Zoo Bridge).
3:59 PM (Cropped) – Cologne: Rhine, with Viking Skadi (in
red circle) docked by the far bridge, Zoobrücke (Zoo Bridge).
When we got back to the Cathedral, we were able to see the exterior of the apse (east) end near the river.
4:04 PM – Cologne: Cathedral, apse exterior, with
Sebastian and MT in foreground.
The eastern choir (apse) belongs to the oldest parts of the Gothic
cathedral. It was completed already around 1300.
From Komödienstraße, near the Cathedral, we took the 4:30 bus back to the Skadi.
The Viking Daily listed a “Two Bridges Run” at 5:30-6:00 pm with Hotel Manager Heiner. Don joined him and one other male passenger for a run along the riverside to the next bridge to the north and back; Heiner said it was 3.1 mi.
Don was back in time to shower and get to the Port Talk at 6:30 in the Lounge. Then we went to dinner in the ship’s restaurant at 7 pm.
Shortly after 10:15 pm, the Skadi departed to sail toward Koblenz.
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