Great St. Martin Church, Cologne

Great St. Martin Church is a Romanesque Catholic church located in Cologne’s old town on a small island in the Rhine. It is one of the city’s major medieval churches and a distinctive element of Cologne’s skyline.

The building’s core dates to the Romanesque period and it features a cruciform plan with a prominent crossing tower and four towers at the crossing piers. The church was heavily damaged during the Second World War and subsequently underwent a lengthy reconstruction campaign to restore the Romanesque form.

Historically the church served as a monastic church and later as a parish church; its Romanesque fabric reflects construction phases dating to the medieval period. Postwar restoration returned much of the exterior silhouette and interior to its prewar Romanesque appearance.

The church stands in Cologne’s Altstadt near the Rhine promenade and within short walking distance of Cologne Cathedral and other Old Town landmarks, making it easily reachable on foot from central Cologne.

• Location in the city: Sited on a small island in the Rhine within Cologne's historic center, it is visually prominent from the riverfront and the Old Town pedestrian areas.
• Architectural and wartime history: The church is a major example of Cologne Romanesque architecture and was heavily damaged during World War II before undergoing postwar reconstruction.