Germany's largest cathedral in Cologne took 632 years of construction

On August 14, 1880, construction of Cologne Cathedral was completed after it began in 1248. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. The website has excellent photos of the Cathedral. I have been to Cologne, and It is beautiful. From the article:

"Germany’s largest cathedral in Cologne took 632 years of construction

Sometimes, masterpieces take long to be completed, and for the Gothic masterpiece cathedral located in Cologne, Germany it took 632 years to be finished. Its construction began in 1248.

The foundation stone was led by the Archbishop of Cologne on August 15th, the following year, while the eastern arm was completed by the instructions of Master Gerhard and consecrated in 1322.

Although the construction was paused in 1473, the work was restarted in the 19th century, and the cathedral was completed by its original plan in 1880. The unfinished construction during the medieval period made the cathedral a place of exceptional value and a powerful testimony of Christianity’s strength and persistence in medieval and modern Europe.

As many buildings suffered demolition during World War 2, the Cologne Cathedral wasn’t an exception. It suffered fourteen hits of aerial bombs. Although it was severely damaged, the cathedral kept standing as one of the tallest landmarks of the city. Its renovation from the damage was finally completed in 1956."