St.Andreas

St. Andreas stands in Cologne’s Old Town as a Romanesque church shaped by many centuries of rebuilding. Its three-aisled basilica combines richly ornamented Romanesque details with simpler Gothic forms, especially around the late Gothic choir hall. A westwork, crossing tower, and long choir give the interior its distinctive structure.

The church grew from an earlier foundation and became part of Cologne’s group of Romanesque churches. Gothic additions changed the building, while wartime damage led to restoration and the rediscovery of its older crypt. Below, a Roman sarcophagus holds the remains of Albertus Magnus, and a later chapel marks his burial place. Dominican pastoral care has continued here since the postwar restoration.

Medieval and Renaissance treasures fill the space, including carved choir stalls, a wooden Saint Christopher, and a gilded Maccabee shrine. A sixteenth-century fountain in the entrance hall carries the dramatic name Blood Fountain, linked by legend to Saint Ursula’s companions. Markus Lüpertz’s stained-glass windows bring modern colour to scenes of Christ’s Passion, the Maccabees, and Albertus Magnus.