The story of master Gerhard

It is everyone's favorite: The Cologne Cathedral . And it is world-famous and always attracts thousands of tourists to the city. The high level of interest is not entirely unfounded, after all, the third highest church in all of Europe is here! Here is a current overview:

number	Height in meters	Name
1	161.53	Ulm Minster
2	158.1	Notre-Dame de la Paix Basilica
3	157.38	Cologne Cathedral
4	151	Rouen Cathedral

Gerhard von Ryle was the first master builder of the cathedral and created the entry point or the basis for this incredible building. The high cathedral church of St. Peter (yes, that's actually the official name, but hardly anyone knows it) is said to have reached an impressive height of 20 Merten as early as 1271.

And then something unbelievable happened: Supposedly, he fell to his death while checking the scaffolding ?! The people of Cologne were in an uproar and worried ... Rumors ran through the breweries and the city. Allegedly, the devil made sure that construction of the cathedral could not go any further. The church should not be finished. The devil? Yes exactly!

The horror stories

Even the Brothers Grimm devoted their attention to the cathedral builder and took the story with them into German legends on. In addition to these two famous storytellers, the well-known author Ms. Anette von Droste Hülshoff also recorded the story in a poem. So you see, Cologne was already interesting back then!

Devil against the Church

The devil (called "Düvvel" in Kölsch) was allegedly also responsible for a devastating fire, which also occurred in the same place where the cathedral stands today. The "Düvvel" allegedly set the Hildebold Cathedral on fire and completely torched it. The "old Cologne Cathedral" was probably a thorn in the side of the devil, because people identified themselves very much with the cathedral and the church. The fire completely destroyed the Hildebold Cathedral in 1247.

Beginning and structure

The local believers and also the tourists who came to the city back then donated and collected money, which was then to be used to pay for the construction of the new cathedral. No sooner said than done: The money was there and the cathedral builder Gerhard von Ryle went "fresh to work".

The bet with the devil

The cathedral builder Gerhard had a big task ahead of him, for which he also moved to Cologne. He moved to the Rhine with his family and was looking for creative ideas for the appearance of the new cathedral. And of course that wasn't an easy task. He was often up late because he couldn't get out of brooding. While taking a walk on the Deutz side of the Rhine, he had become so tired that he took a rest and fell asleep on a stone. Allegedly this was the so-called devil's stone!
The devil noticed this strong character and naturally wanted to use the moment of weakness immediately. He showed himself to the master Gerhard and offered his help! The cathedral architect was supposed to enter into a pact. With the help of the devil, the cathedral could be completed in just three years if the dear master Gerhard would sell the souls of his family to the devil ! If the cathedral is not completed within three years and before the first cock crow last night, the cathedral builder and his family should be free.

The tricky wife

The construction of the cathedral made rapid progress: every day it grew more and more in height. And with every centimeter the cathedral builder became more and more nervous. After all, he didn't want to lose the souls of his family to the devil. In his great concern, he then told his wife about the pact, who was shocked but had a good idea. She just bought a rooster and taught him to crow on command. Even before the very last stone was placed on the cathedral, the wife made sure that the rooster began to crow very loudly. The devil was of course angry and annoyed and immediately caused parts of the cathedral to collapse again. The permanent construction site " Cologne Cathedral " was born.

The next bet with the devil

Master Gerhard resumed work and had some exhausting days behind him. Again the cathedral builder was battered and weakened and again the devil saw a chance. He made the troubled cathedral builder (disguised as a small, fat man) a new betting suggestion: "He would rather lead water from Trier to Cologne than the cathedral builder would finally finish the cathedral". You guessed it, it turned into another funny story.

The Düvvel was clever

Although the cathedral builder Gerhard was now working really hard, it was difficult for him to make progress with the work. He was tired and emaciated, and his wife was most worried. She ordered a doctor (of course that was the devil in disguise) and asked for advice and help. As a reward, the doctor (The Devil) wanted information from the wife. At night she should listen to what the cathedral builder said in his sleep.

The next day the devil in the form of the doctor was back with the wife and had a report. What had the cathedral builder teased out in his sleep? "Every quarter of an hour there must be an air hole in the pipe," he is said to have said in his sleep. The devil smiled confident of victory and knew what to do.

The cathedral builder was standing on the scaffolding and was working on Cologne Cathedral when he heard a splash of water and even a chatter. What did this mean? He looked down from the scaffolding and went pale as a sheet: there was water from the mountains in a pond! In the water he saw a red duck !

Bet lost

Master Gerhard did not want to lose and certainly did not want to be taken alive by the devil. So he immediately jumped into the depths, knowing that he had lost the bet!

The cathedral builder Gerhard was born in 1210 and therefore died in 1271 through the famous "Domsturz" . The water pipe is still there, by the way, and a piece of it is still next to Cologne Cathedral!

Accommodation close to the cathedral!

Do you want to walk to the cathedral? Then book one of our apartments cologne, then you can easily walk to Cologne Cathedral! Just cross the Rhine over the Deutzer Brücke and stroll through the old town. In about 14 minutes you have reached the cathedral! We look forward to your inquiry!