This Week in Christian History: New World Baptism, Cathedral Construction, and the First Crusade

Construction on Cologne Cathedral Begins – Aug. 15, 1248

This week marks the anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, one of the largest church buildings in the world and a notable example of Medieval Gothic architecture.

Once the site of earlier churches, on Aug. 15, 1284, Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone for the new structure.

"As well as being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe, it is also Germany's most popular monument of medieval art, receiving an average of 20,000 visitors a day," noted Art Encyclopedia.

"Located close to the River Rhine, the cathedral is famous for its architectural statues, steep gables, blind tracery and unifying series of spires, as well as its rare works of religious art."

The cathedral was a long work in progress, with centuries passing from its beginning work in the 13th century until its official completion in 1880.