1848 - 1849

1848

August 15th. Celebrating Cologne Cathedral building – 600-years-festivity of laying the foundation stone. Ceremonial consecration of the Cathedral’s western parts in the presence of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. and imperial vicar archduke Johann. All aisle-vaults were closed, the central nave covered by a provisional ceiling above the triforium.

September 25th. Ferdinand Joseph Esser was elected president of the ZDV. He had held office until he died in 1871.

October 3rd. The funds for Cathedral building were depleted. Namely because of building the interim ceiling above the triforium more money had been spent than scheduled. Cathedral master-builder Zwirner prepared the discontinuation of the building site for November 1st.

November 20th. The King conceded an extraordinary grant for Cathedral building amounting to 12.000 Thaler of state funds.

December 31st. ZDV’s gains of 1848 amounted to 26.144 Thaler; for Cathedral building the society made 30.000 Thaler available, while Zwirner had calculated on 60.000 Thaler. Due to the exhausted funds of the ZDV Cologne Cathedral building was continued only on royal account, which meant that the southern transept was worked on.

1849

February 28th. ZDV hosted a raffle of relics of antique art and other objects, which had been given to the ZDV as contributions for the Cathedral building. The proceeds of the tombola tickets’ sale added up to 1.934 Thaler.

December 31st. The only source of income, which brought earnings worth mentioning, was the offertory conducted following the church service in front of the Cathedral’s doors.