The story of this place
Begun in 1248 to house the relics of the Three Magi — looted from Milan in 1164 and still in a golden shrine behind the altar — Cologne Cathedral was left unfinished for 300 years when medieval funds ran dry. Its original plans were rediscovered in the 1800s, and Prussia completed it in 1880, briefly the tallest building on Earth. During World War II, some 262 tonnes of Allied bombs shattered the city around it, yet the twin-spired cathedral survived, scarred but standing — its dark silhouette above the rubble becoming an emblem of survival, though it was likely spared partly as a navigation landmark. It remains Germany's most visited monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.