Future of Paris Cathedral Notre-Dame continues to be open | Culture | '

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The archbishop of Paris wears a white safety helmet on his head as he preaches on 16 June 2019. Messdiener and community also wear safety helmets. Baustrahler immerse the altar in glistening light. In the television broadcast, it can be seen that above the sanctuary the sky shines through.

Continuing collapse in Notre-Dame

In this setting, the chief clergyman of Paris, Michel Aupetit, now led his first Mass in the Notre-Dame Cathedral, to the day exactly two months after a major fire had raged here and destroyed the roof and the pinnacle.

Helm instead of Mitra: The Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit (second from left), at the first Mass in Notre-Dame after the devastating conflagration

With a somewhat defiant "Notre-Dame is alive and kicking," the news agency AFP quoted the mayor Patrick Chauvet before the fair. Quite different sounds Barbara Schock-Werner, former Cologne Cathedral architect and now coordinator of German aid to the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. A few days before Mass, she was able to enter the church a second time. Experts continue to consider the church, which is closed to the public, to be in danger of collapse, as did Schock-Werner himself, who described her impressions of the visit in Cologne's Domradio. Although it would look better than on her first visit, but still in the central nave pile of charred beams and broken down vault stones around. The choke stalls drenched with extinguishing water are threatened by mold. Like the entire interior, the organ is also completely sooty.

Warning of high lead concentration

Construction workers in Notre-Dame in May 2019. Due to high levels of lead contamination, they are only allowed to stay at the construction site for a short time and then leave the field to remote-controlled excavators

However, the main obstacle to the cleanup is tons of melted lead from the roof, which now contaminate the interior. Because of the risk of lead poisoning try to collect the debris in the cathedral time-consuming with remote-controlled small excavators, reports Schock-Werner. But only when the church is completely cleansed and secured, the actual reconstruction can begin.

From Chief of Staff to "Monsieur Reconstruction": General Jean-Louis Georgelin

It should be completed in five years. President Emmanuel Macron had promised that to the French in April. This ambitious schedule is now on the back of five-star General Jean-Louis Georgelin. The former Chief of Staff at the Elysée Palace has been "Monsieur Reconstruction" since April, Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Notre-Dame. Macron had called for "inventive rebuilding," an alliance of tradition and modernity and "respectful daring." These slogans are now fueling the national architectural competition that the government had already launched in April.

After all, swimming is good for the cross: how about a pool on the roof of Notre Dame?

The The government has the last word

Minister of Culture Franck Riester invited the French to a major "debate and consultation" on the reconstruction in May, but at the same time made it clear that "the state" would then decide on the future appearance of the cathedral and, in particular, the government of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe , When exactly the decision is made is not yet clear.

According to an online survey published in April by the polling agency YouGov, 54 percent of French respondents said they wanted a reconstruction. Tired of all the "huge nonsense" in terms of reconstruction, meanwhile, designated chief architect Philippe Villeneuve. In an interview with "Le Figaro" he refers to the requirements of the Historic Preservation Charter of Venice from 1964, which France must adhere to. In short, so Villeneuve: "The top must be replicated identical".

Negative example Cologne Cathedral?

For the tower destroyed by the fire, designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, had "timelessly" been incorporated into the cathedral; this silhouette now needs to be reconstructed, says Villeneuve. As you should not do it, he also has it clearly in mind and refers to the crossing tower of the Cologne Cathedral: "This is a wart of the 1950s on a historic building," said the architect. With a team of 150 employees, Villeneuve is now busy preventing this. An end to the ever clearer conflict between daring and monument-humility in the reconstruction of the cathedral is not foreseeable.

This is how Parisian designers imagine the interior of their greenhouse on Notre-Dame.

Diluted five-year plan

In the meantime, the former master builder Barbara Schock-Werner warns of particularly exaggerated expectations: "Even if the roof may be on in five years' time, it will take a long time to work on and in this church." The French Senate also criticized the "big hurry" when he advised the end of May on the "Conservation and Restoration Law" of Notre-Dame, which had previously been approved by the National Assembly. Thus, the government was finally banned, to save time to be able to handle the monument protection selectively. Moreover, the senate demands to remain faithful to the "last visual state". This also applies to the crossing tower, which was once built by Viollet-le-Duc. The National Assembly will again decide on the amended draft text on 26 June. This is for France's policy a next round in the dispute Old versus New in the reconstruction of Notre Dame into the house.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  High point of the gothic

  In 1163, the Paris bishop Maurice de Sully gave the order to build a cathedral. The location in the middle of Paris was not random. Previously, there was a Roman temple in the same place. The construction stretched over two centuries and had to undergo several looting. First the choir area was built. In 1220 there was the first service.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Cathedral with top location

  For the construction of the cathedral was specially created a new road axis. Bishop Maurice de Sully wanted to set an example with the bright calcareous sandstone construction on the tip of the Seine Island. The 69 meter high twin towers were made of expensive materials and should look classy. Many donations were collected by Parisians.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  View over Paris

  In the next phase, the nave was built, the roof of which has now gone up in flames. Imposing are the two flat towers. Although Notre-Dame de Paris is the most visited building in the French capital, the state pays too little for its maintenance. In many places the building crumbled.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Tooth of time

  Most likely, roof repairs are responsible for the fire. Already last year, the 850th birthday of Notre-Dame showed that the longwall was eaten by weather and air pollution. Side turrets had to be supported provisionally. 100 million euros were estimated for the renovation. The Gothic stave system supports the main vault from the outside.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Victor Hugo made her famous

  The cathedral measures 128 meters in length and 33 meters in height. The French writer Victor Hugo put Notre-Dame in the center of his 1831 published success story "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Already in this book, which tells of the deformed Hunchback Quasimodo and his love for the gypsy Esmeralda, Hugo criticizes the critical condition of the church.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  New bells

  For the 850th Birthday, the bells Quasimodo rang in the novel, were removed from the towers. In a foundry nine new bells were cast. At the inauguration, more people stood in line before Notre-Dame.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Renovation more than 100 years ago

  In the 19th century, the cathedral of Violett-le-Duc was renovated. He added the so-called Chimera Gallery. That's the name of the stone fantasy birds and mythical creatures on the corners of the balustrade. The tourists could admire inside and outside but also the famous rosette windows.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Magnificent windows

  Inside, the color effect of the rosette windows has been better felt so far. A deep blue, but also a dark red dominated the flood of light. Everything in the building strives upward – the heritage of the Gothic. But even in later periods such as Renaissance and Baroque, the church was further built and adapted to the respective time. But the Gothic is the predominant stylistic device.

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  Notre-Dame of Paris – History of a landmark

  Notre-Dame burns brightly

  The cathedral is undergoing extensive renovations as a devastating fire breaks out on the loft on April 15. The roof and the tall, pointed tower in the middle of the main nave collapse. Even as the fire rages through the historic walls, President Emmanuel Macron promises "We will rebuild Notre-Dame."

  Author / Author: Sabine Oelze

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