At the beginning of our third week in Bonn, we traveled about thirty miles down the Rhine to the city of Cologne. During our day trip in Germany’s fourth biggest metropolis we learned that it comprises a distinct city culture, remarkable Roman remains, and lots of Schnitzel.
However, the most prominent feature, undoubtedly, is the Dom Cathedral. Towering over 157 meters into Cologne’s skyline, the Cathedral was once the tallest building in the world. When we arrived at the front of the grand structure, with our backs almost in a full bend just to see the top, we all looked at each other in worry.
Were we really going to climb all the way to the top of that!?
Inner fears of heights, elevators, and even exhaustion from stair climbing kicked in. The carefully crafted, black stained stone, fairytale land gargoyles looked down at us, captivating our interest. How could we not take advantage of an exclusive tour of one of the most beautiful, magical looking, artistic creations of all time?
Our fears and apprehensions simmered, and we all jumped on the elevator to the first tier above ground. The initial step onto concrete after exiting the glass box riding the outside of the building cued a sighs of relief. The Cathedral might have withstood two world wars, but that elevator definitely would not have. We followed our tour guide, as his long black hair and jacket blew behind him, and boots clicked with every step down the tiny hallways through the archways, and around the organ.
Suddenly, we transformed into students at Hogwarts following Professor Snape throughout the castle many of us fantasized about as adolescents. Every component of the Cathedral reminded us of the novel, from the spooky black stone, to the tall ceilings, obscure doorways and tiny stairwells.
As film majors, we tend to let our imagination take over sometimes- and this is what probably was happening - but there was just a Hogwarts aura that we couldn’t shake off. We exited, what in our minds looked like a secret door, to the outside of the first level roof - and our magical wizardry powers quickly disappeared. The railings seemed to disappear as we looked down to the people below us, and our fears became very real again. Embellished stonework and spires surrounded us; and as we learned the time and skill that goes into creating them, our beliefs returned. The statues and stone structures had to have been created with magic. The detail and complexity was so incredible, that we came to the conclusion there is no other way they could have been made.
Feeling more confident and secured in the powers of the Dom, we left the outside and entered a very tight winding stairwell. With each step resembling the way to Dumbledore’s office, we climbed on, and on, and on… Each time we were convinced we had climbed long enough, Professor Snape - I mean our tour guide - would shake his head and signal us to keep going.
When we thought we would collapse if we had to climb one more stair, the real powers of the Dom were revealed. The bright light struck the stairwell as the doors overhead opened and we slowly climbed out onto the highest standing point of the building. A crystal clear view of the two towers in the front of the Cathedral, the Rhine, the Roman Empire arch, the apartment buildings, the street performers, the protesters, the city shoppers… every inch of Cologne was finally in sight. While the Dom is an incredibly striking, massive structure that belongs in a fantasy novel, the true magic of the place is the understanding of the city it gives. Not only could we physically see all of the city, but the Dom has also been apart of the majority of its history. This gave us a full spectrum insight to Cologne.
Although we had to leave our magical fantasy at the Cathedral, we left Cologne with a powerful understanding of the city and an experience we will always remember.
By Jocelyn Cooper
