Visiting the Cathedral in Cologne 2/2

Returning to the cathedral in cologne which is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in the world, let's get another feel for this massive construction

The cathedral itself is filled with mostly... space. It is one of the hall marks of gothic architecture and creates a very open and sacred atmosphere. Constructing a building that was held up by as little material as possible was thought to symbolize the otherness of the earthly sphere - that which is holy and sacred; and these qualities themselves signify emptiness and therefore the non-material sphere. It was essentially this idea that was the guiding theme of the painstaking and labourful construction process that was being built, generation after generation.

At the end, the constructors seem to have encaptured their vision perfectly; but as mentioned before, it took almost 600 years to complete (with a 300 years hiatus)! After WWII most (or all) beautifully stained windows were shattered and it took intense labour to reconstruc and build them a new. A good example is the modern looking window which might as well could have been placed in a contemorary art museum.

Enjoy the ride...