Cathedral of Cologne

Type: Cathedral

This is the most visited edifice in the FRG and is exceeded in height and size only by the Ulmer Münster. It contains the “Three Wise Men’s Shrine”, which is supposed to hold the skeletons/bones of the Three Wise Men, a special treasure. Construction begin in 1248, but the church was not finished in its current form until the 19th Century. Crowned royalty from throughout Germany competed to contribute to its construction, in order to make its completion possible. The Dome Church was always the central Cathedral of the mighty Archbishopric of Cologne, which always possessed the authority to choose the German Emperor.