St. Georg

In the heart of Cologne, St. Georg stands as a silent witness. It has seen centuries of history unfold. St. Georg is one of the twelve Romanesque churches gracing Cologne’s old town. Its story begins in 1059. Archbishop Anno II laid the foundation for this former collegiate church. Interestingly, St. Georg occupies the site of a Roman guard post. This post once controlled the traffic flow between Cologne and Bonn. This whispers of Cologne’s rich tapestry, woven from Roman threads to medieval patterns. St. Georg’s Romanesque architecture earned it a charming nickname: “Ravenna on the Rhine”. This moniker reflects its kinship with the early Christian basilicas of Ravenna, Italy. Inside St. Georg, a unique feature sets it apart from Cologne’s other Romanesque churches. Its nave’s arcade rests on columns, not piers. The church houses a replica of a remarkable artifact. This is the life-sized willow-wood crucifix, known as the triumphal cross. It is believed to be the only surviving movable relic from Anno II’s original structure. The original is safely preserved in the Schnütgen Museum. The church’s westwerk holds a secret. Its thick, five-meter walls hint at a grander vision. A towering structure was planned but never realized. A simple hip roof now caps the westwerk, replacing a Baroque belfry lost during World War II. Look closely at the windows. They are reproductions of vibrant stained glass created by Johan Thorn Prikker in the late 1920s. The originals were casualties of the war. Despite wartime damage and extensive restoration, St. Georg retains its Romanesque charm. Its story, etched in stone and glass, continues to resonate within the bustling city of Cologne.