Cologne –
Until January 10th, the “Star of Bethlehem” illuminated for the first time on the crossing tower of Cologne Cathedral is a widely visible symbol of hope and confidence. The gold-plated copper star, measuring 1.46 meters in diameter, was placed on October 15, 1860 by the then master builder Ernst Friedrich Zwirner on the highest point of the cathedral, which was still unfinished at the time. There, on the finial of the crossing tower, the 19-pointed star is still 109 meters high.
In order to make the Star of Bethlehem shine significantly brighter than the cathedral for the first time in the cathedral’s long history, four powerful spotlights were installed almost invisibly at a distance of around 70 meters. Two of them are inside the two main towers, the other two directly behind the gable wall at the level of the eaves of the north and south transepts.
The illuminated star of Bethlehem can be seen until the end of the liturgical Christmas season, the feast of the baptism of the Lord, on January 10, 2021 daily from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.
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