Cologne 1840. Not far from Cathedralsquare the publican of the inn “Kings of the East” was delighted: Nobility, members of the educated classes, wealthy merchants and church representatives had gathered numerously in the spacious backroom of the inn. The room was imbued with hazes of beer, wine and roast, billows of tobacco and the noise of conversations. Eventually one among them arose: The merchant’s son and art collector Sulpiz Boiserée, who had brought them all together that night. It became quiet.
“Almost 600 years have passed,” he commenced, “since the archbishop of Cologne laid the foundation stone in the presence of the King for a Gothic cathedral to be modelled on French example, - laid on the ground, which had carried many predecessor churches. And it has been over 300 years, since construction works have ceased. The Dome-torso is a dishonour for our town! Let us provide for the completion at last!”
The affirmation broke so loud and applause so boisterous, that other guests startled raising their eyes, not knowing that this was the starting shot to saving one of the most extraordinary churches of the world.
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Cologne Cathedral just before perfection
(west facade with Cathedral builder's huts
in the foreground)
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It could have been like this, when representatives of the elite, men of wit, education and fortune prepared for establishing a society having one single objective: To see the building of Cologne Cathedral during their lifetime and centuries after it started in the 13th century, Gothic period’s heyday perfected.
Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV must have liked that idea: At the end of November 1840 not only did he grant the appellants permission to found a society in furtherance of the Cathedral’s completion.
Furthermore he promised the society an annual support of 10.000 Thaler, today’s value: 1,5 million Euro.
September 3rd, 1840 exactly two-hundred-and-two Cathedral’s Friends gathered in Cologne’s townhall to prepare the society’s establishment. They elected a board to discuss and record the club-laws to then be submitted to the King. His Majesty gave his placet on November 23rd, 1840. On April 13th, 1841 a statute was passed by a general meeting of all hitherto involved and presented to the King, who enacted on December 8th, 1841 the remit to found the society by royal decree. The society’s first General Assembly took place on February 14th, 1842 Gürzenich. The statutory basis on which this happened – a decision of the cabinet by His Majesty – kept its legal force to this day and therefore ZDV is one of today’s very rare still existing Old Juridical Societies (Altrechtliche Vereine). The ZDV elected an eminent personage of Cologne to be its first constituted President: Heinrich von Wittgenstein, the chairman of the supervisory board of the Cöln-Mindener Railway-Corporation following which he became Cologne’s governing President.
The statute of maybe one of the world’s oldest citizen’s initiatives determines that not only elected, but also “born” members belong to the supervisory board.
Needless to say not just any, but: Cologne’s Chief Burgomaster (Kölner Oberbürgermeister), Cologne’s Cathedral master-builder – currently a master-builder craftswoman (Dombaumeisterin) – and in addition a delegated member of the diocesan chapter, at present the officiating Cologne Cathedral’s provost (Kölner Dompropst) were and are people, to whom the Cathedral is of exceeding importance qua appointment. This holds true for the Archbishop of Cologne as well, who is asked continually to take over the honourable chairmanship in the general management.
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Layout for redesigning
Cologne Cathedral's environment
in October / November 1816
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So the ZDV was constituted. And what was now first and foremost to be done, to accomplish the society’s purpose, meaning to consummate the gothic house of worship according to the original construction plans of the 13th century?
To find the best construction workers and craftsmen? To plead for God’s benediction?
Doubtlessly – but the most important thing was far more profane: Immense pecuniary resources were needed.
ZDV’s founders exerted all their influence and efforts to recruit members and collect donations.
With many affluent people, not only in Cologne, but throughout the world they found themselves preaching to the converted. All over Europe benevolent societies were found, even in Mexico and Brazil people were committed.
The idea to organise a lottery has been obvious – and was rejected in 1852 by the managing board for now.
A game of chance for the Cathedral? Impossible! What kind of impression does that give?!
In those times moralities and value judgements were a little different from today’s.
But in 1864 they bethought themselves possibly of the Latin expression „pecunia non olet“ (“money doesn’t stink”) – in any case the management committee reconsidered and changed its mind: Everything for the Cathedral!
The first draw of the Cathedral’s-Constructing-Lottery is dated September 4th, 1865.
Since that date the Society is supporting the construction of the Cathedral with annually with amounts between 90.000 up to 170.000 Thaler (13,5 to 25,5 million Euro). In the year 1869 solid 80 percent of the construction costs came from the ZDV’s strongbox.
Added together the ZDV has raised 1,4 billion Euro to this day:
For the completion of the Cathedral until 1880 it had borne 60 percent of the aggregate cost of 6,63 million Thaler (which is equivalent to roughly one billion Euro); the society defrayed costs entirely for the exposure lasting from 1863 to 1902 (to put a figure on it: 4,95 million Thaler – current worth: 742,5 million Euro); and finally ZDV has absorbed 50 percent of the average costs for the Cathedral’s preservation from 1949 to this day* (altogether nearly 200 million Euro).
ZDV’s founder collected not only financial means. For a bell for instance, one could ask for the material straightaway, instead of making a circuit across means of payment.
And so 1872 German Emperor Wilhelm the first allowed himself to be persuaded to cede twenty-two French cannons captured in order to found a bell for the Cologne Cathedral.
October 15th, 1880 – the great day!
With a huge festivity, which the imperial couple and all German princely houses honoured with their presence, Cologne’s inhabitants celebrated the perfection of the High Cathedral of Cologne, forty years after the resolution of a palmful of people rising to this monstrous challenge.
Emperor Wilhelm I. attends
the celebration of
Cologne Cathedral's completion
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So, all’s well that ends well?
Only temporarily. Master-builder Karl Eduard Richard Voigtel betokened 1902 the Cathedral will not be needing restoration for one hundred years. As we know, he was profoundly mistaken.
And already in 1903 also Voigtel knew it: his successor Bernhard Hertel had proved damages caused by climatic conditions.
And as if it was a warning, 1906 a large boulder fell down, directly in front of the main entrance, just as High Mass attenders were leaving the Cathedral. As by a miracle not one of them was hit....
And so the never-ending story of the ZDV ran its incipient course.
*latest status: 2009
