ARCHITECTURE. 163 
its architectural forms and ornaments are so many witnesses of the prime 
of the pointed-arch style. Pl. 34, jig. 40, gives a view of this building as 
it is intended to be when completed. Six hundred years have elapsed 
since it was commenced, but no part of the grand structure is entirely 
finished. In the beginning of the present century many of the finished 
parts showed serious marks of decay, and it became a point of pride in all 
the German nation to prevent the ruin of this cathedral, and if possible to 
complete it. In 1824 the Prussian government decreed an annual contri- 
bution of $10,000; a light cathedral tax was created, to which every man 
had to bring his mite ; extensive private collections were made, and nume- 
rous presents and bequests sent to the cathedral. The king of Bavaria set 
the example of having certain parts of the building finished at his own 
expense, and several other princes and associations followed it. The work 
was then commenced in good earnest, and has been carried on ever since. 
The restoration of dilapidated parts and the new parts are being made 
strictly in the spirit and according to the designs of the first architect. 
Fortunately the original plans still exist, so that no room has been left for 
mistakes by erroneous conclusions. But the astonishing elaboration of 
ornament makes progress very slow. There is hardly a stone laid in the 
building that has not on one or more of its faces highly finished stone- 
dresser’s or sculptor’s work. The progress of decay has, however, been 
effectually arrested, and considerable work has been done towards the 
perfection of the cross-arms with their magnificent portals. The side aisles 
have been furnished with painted-glass windows of the highest artistic 
value, presents of the king of Bavaria, representing the birth of Christ, the 
Evangelists, and other subjects illustrating the Scriptures. The main front 
where the two spires are to be reared is still pretty much in its dilapidated 
condition. The northern tower is only 10 or 15 feet out of the ground; the 
grand portal between the two towers is not even commenced; and only the 
southern tower is carried up two stories and a half to about the height of 
the projected peak of the centre gable, which is to have the height of the 
main nave. On this tower stands the token of Cologne, a huge unwieldy 
wooden crane, used for raising the blocks of stone to their proper places. 
In the course of centuries the inhabitants of Cologne had become so 
strongly attached to this crane, that they replaced the old time-worn one in 
1826 by a new one, at an expense of nearly $20,000, although the final com- 
pletion of the edifice would have been much more furthered had this sum 
been judiciously expended in some other part of the building. The entrance 
to the church, at present, is through the side portal in this tower leading 
into the southern side aisle. 
The construction of the church was commenced in the year 1248, wher 
the archbishop Conrad of Hochstedten laid the corner-stone on the eve of 
St. Mary’s day. The plans are ascribed by some to Gerhard of St. Trond, 
who appears in the accounts as a master stone-cutter: by others, to 
Albertus Magnus, Dominican monk, and subsequently bishop of Ratisbon. 
The latter conjecture seems to have the greater probability, for the tho- 
roughly digested plans would appear to be beyond the conception of a 
163 
