Distance from hotel: 1.3 km
St. Martin Church Cologne
The three-aisled basilica with her cloverleaf-shaped east choir and the square central tower with four corner towers is one of the most prominent landmarks in the left-bank city panorama.
The basilica was built in the 12th century in the Rhine suburb, a former island in the Rhine, on the foundations of Roman buildings. For several centuries it served as the abbey church of a Benedictine abbey until it was used in the 19th century after the secularization of the monastery as a parish church. Air raids during the Second World War taught at considerable damage to the church. The tower was reconstructed until 1965. The reconstruction lasted until 1985. 40 years after the war, the church was rededicated.
Since 2009, Great St. Martin is once again open as a monastery church of the community of Jerusalem for believers and visitors newly formed branch. In this newly created crypt excavations can be visited from Roman times.
By the term Great St. Martin Basilica is distinguished from the much smaller and possibly older, also dedicated to St. Martin Church market, of which only the tower remains and as Klein St. Martin is known. Johann Peter Weyer, Cologne city architect from 1822 to 1844, wrote:
"When the island was joined later by filling up the this-side current with the mainland of the city, the church was called the Great St. Martin, to those of a the same Holy gewiedmetem, built on the bank top Moors parish church" called small St. Martin "to distinguish. "
Source: wikipedia.de