The Culturist@the_culturist_ · Aug 14, 2024

On this day in 1880, Cologne Cathedral was finally completed — 632 years after work began. But do you ever wonder why…

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Summary

Cologne Cathedral took 632 years to complete (1248-1880) because it was built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, believed to have been brought to Cologne in 1162. The project symbolized medieval faith and later German unity, and the reliquary still contains remains—including three crowned skulls—that may date back 2,000 years, though their authenticity remains debated.

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#1
On this day in 1880, Cologne Cathedral was finally completed — 632 years after work began. But do you ever wonder why it was built? Well, an extremely curious treasure is kept inside... (thread) 🧵
#2
The fact that medieval society attempted to build it is astounding — working with basic hand tools, knowing they'd never live to see it finished? They must have had a really good reason to do it...
#3
In short, the reason was to house something of (potentially) enormous significance: The remains of the Three Wise Men...
#4
They're the "wise men from the East" who came to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem, according to the Bible. We don't know much about them, but later writings tell us about their return to India and Persia.
#5
This is what the gold reliquary housing the remains looks like (I'll show you inside in a second). But wait — can they be real? And why on Earth are they in Germany?
#6
In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, went looking for relics of Christ. Legends say she found his tomb in Jerusalem, then went east to find the remains of the Wise Men. She found them, and took them to Constantinople...
#7
They were later moved to a church in Milan, then stolen by the Holy Roman Empire in 1162. The bones went to Cologne, and it was agreed that the world's biggest cathedral must be built for them...
#8
The golden shrine they were put in is radiant, decorated with Bible stories and depictions of the Three Kings. Nobody ever opened it for centuries, until 1864...
#9
This is what they found: human remains and three crowned skulls. Of course, many are skeptical about claims of relics, and many were fabricated in the Middle Ages. But there are curious details to note here...
#10
The bones seem to belong to one young man, one middle-aged, and one elderly. This matches the oldest known depiction of the Three Kings: this 6th century mosaic in Ravenna. There's a legend that they were martyred as Christians — all at the same time, as the bones would imply.
#11
Still, it could still easily be a medieval hoax. Or is there anything connecting them to something older? Well, in 1980, silk that the bones are wrapped in was dated back to modern-day Syria, 2,000 years ago...
#12
All this of course proves nothing. Regardless, they put Cologne among Europe's most significant religious sites — and ignited one of mankind's greatest construction efforts...
#13
Work started in 1248, but stalled in the 16th century: war, financing and the Reformation got in the way. For centuries, the medieval crane towered over Cologne's skyline.
#14
But an upswell of faith and romanticism came in the 19th century, and finishing it became a symbol of soon-to-be-unified Germany. A Gothic wonder rivalling anything in neighbouring France...
#15
Now, it's the most visited building in Germany; a giant ode to human perseverance. In WW2, Cologne was obliterated, but the cathedral stood tall — despite taking 14 aerial bomb hits.
#16
German poet Heinrich Heine was once asked why men no longer build great cathedrals. He replied: "People in those old times had convictions; we moderns only have opinions. And it needs more than a mere opinion to erect a Gothic cathedral."