St. Mariä Himmelfahrt
St. Mariä Himmelfahrt stands in Cologne as a Catholic parish church and one of the city’s few Baroque survivors. Its three-aisled basilica extends about sixty metres, with galleries, seven bays, and a narrow transept beneath one roof. Plastered brick, stone details, pointed-arch windows, and two towered entrances shape the exterior.
Christoph Wamser began construction in 1618, and Valentin Boltz continued the work until completion in 1678. The church opened for use in 1629, then suffered near-total destruction during the Second World War. From 1949 to 1979, builders reconstructed the interior and exterior using surviving walls and original fragments.
Inside, six round Tuscan columns on each side support pointed arches beneath a richly patterned net vault. Clear windows illuminate black-and-white marble flooring, stucco monograms, angel heads, and apostle sculptures. The reconstructed high altar rises about 22.5 metres, while seven bells include a Marian bell cast by Johannes Reutter of Mainz.
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