Cologne - St. Severin

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior".
The construction of a three-aisled St. Severin basilica, replacing a Carolingian church, started in the 10th century over a Roman necropolis. At about 1230 the choir was extended over the hall crypt. The new choir got consecrated in 1237.

Around 1500 the Romanesque church got reconstructed in Gothic style.

The large crucifix (height 2.32 m) may have been here already at that time, as it is dated to the 14thj century. It is a "Crucifixus dolorosus" (aka "Y-cross"), of which the oldest one is still in the near "St. Maria im Kapitol". This type was very popular in the Rhineland areas during that time and a couple of them still exist.

Typical of the "Crucifixi dolorosi" is the body of Christ hanging on a Y-shaped tree fork with his head falling low over his chest. His sinewy arms stretch more upward than sideways, his thin body is strongly bent and deeply sunken below the breastbone, with prominently protruding ribs and a gaping wound in his side

The impression of the painted figure probably horrified the pious onlookers.