Finials of Cologne Cathedral

A copy of this finial in original size, but made of concrete, has stood below the steps in front of the west façade of the cathedral since 1991.

In addition to the size of the stone blocks, transporting them to heights of over 150 metres posed a challenge in the 19th century: Not only were scaffolding and rope hoists too weak, but the steam-powered freight lift could carry a maximum weight of four tonnes.

To stabilise the construction of the spire, a system of brackets and reinforcements, mostly made of copper, was developed to counter the danger of corrosion.

[1] They are therefore supported on the one hand by stone brackets from below, but held in place on the top by an octagonal copper band on the shaft and by metal rods.

A wrought-iron rod 10 centimetres in diameter and 21 metres long was passed through the centre of the shaft to stabilise it with a copper sheath.

[6] The concrete model of the southern finial on a scale of 1:1 was placed 50 metres in front of the west façade of the cathedral between the street Unter Fettenhennen and the Domplatte [de].

In an effort to replace the model with a durable structure, the choice fell on a concrete casting due to the considerably lower costs compared to natural stone.

Except for the massive leaf crowns and the keystone, all parts were designed as hollow bodies with wall thicknesses between 15 and 20 centimetres for reasons of weight saving.

In 2012, the "Urban Congress" project commissioned by the City of Cologne, which focused on the conscious handling of art in the public urban space of Cologne, presented a number of recommendations for action, including the removal of the crucifix replica in front of the cathedral, with the aim of calming down or "clearing out" the area in front of the cathedral and giving the actual art monument at this location, the Taubenbrunnen by Ewald Mataré, a more prominent place and a new visibility.

Overall, the "majority of the interlocutors" in public and private discussions of the "Urban Congress" had considered the current location "unsuitable both for the Dove Fountain and for the perspective on the main portal of the cathedral".