The Great Saint Martin Church (German: Groß Sankt Martin, mostly Groß St. Martin) is a Romanesque Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. Its foundations (circa 960 AD) rest on remnants of a Roman chapel, built on what was then an island in the Rhine. The church was later transformed into a Benedictine monastery.

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The current buildings, including a soaring crossing tower that is a landmark of Cologne’s Old Town, were erected between 1150-1250. The architecture of its eastern end forms a triconch or trefoil plan, consisting of three apses around the crossing, similar to that at St. Maria im Kapitol. The church was badly damaged in World War II, with restoration work completed in 1985.

Great Saint Martin was badly damaged by aerial bombing during World War II. On the night of May 30, 1942, the tower and nave of the church were burnt to the ground. The sacristy building and north apse were also destroyed. The following year, in one of the heaviest bombings of the war, the Benedict chapel in the northern side was destroyed. Through the bombing of January, 1945, the dwarf galleries of all three apses were demolished. At this time, the foundation of the four towers was also struck with a direct hit. In the last allied bombing, on March 2, 1945, the city received its heaviest damages. Almost ninety-five percent of the buildings in the old city were damaged, and at Great Saint Martin, all of the church’s ceilings were either riddled with holes or thrown down.

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The logo to the left is a website that is dedicated to the 12 Romanesque Churches of Cologne, Germany. A video missionary in Germany is hoping to record and share with all of you the beauty and history of these Romanesque Churches through ‘Our Day of Rest’ videos on this website. The website is in German, but your browser may prompt you to translate to English once on the site. Do you have a beautiful Catholic Church in your home town that you would like to share with the global audience of OneBillionStories.com? E-mail producer@onebillionstories.com to learn how you can set up the publishing of your beautiful Catholic Church.

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Readings for 29th January 2012
First: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Responsorial: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
Second: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Rosary: Glorious Mysteries
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning of Thorns
4. The Way of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death

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Cologne Germany Grob Sankt Martin World War II