Views of the World, Cologne Cathedral, Germany

The postcards in this series were made for the American market, and I have to wonder, when  people looked at these cards, did it make them want to travel and see the real thing, or did they say, "Hey, I've seen a picture, that's good enough."

Construction began on Cologne Cathedral in 1248, and was abandoned in 1473.  Construction resumed in the nineteenth century and was completed 1880.  During World War 2, the Cathedral was hit, by bombs, fourteen times.  Repairs began as early as 1944 and those repairs were completed in 1956.  In 2007, a new stained glass window was installed.  It was designed by German artist Gerhard Richter, whose work spans  pure abstraction to photo-realism.

Click on Views of the World to see other cards in the series.