From the point of view of the modern layman, Strasbourg Cathedral is asymmetric (one tower is missing). For the architect, the building is a rare example of a mixture of styles: Romanesque (French) and Gothic (German). The 142-meter north tower of the temple until the beginning of 1890 provided the cathedral with the title of the tallest Christian building in Europe (until the cathedral was built in the German city of Ulm).
The temple was built by German and French architects. From here you can observe a mixture of styles in the building. Each architect sought to stand out, to show his best skill. French craftsmen invited from Paris, Reims, Chartres decorated the temple with the finest stone carvings. Each figure of a saint in a cathedral is a work of art. Experienced Germans, invited from Cologne, Freiburg and Ulm, made a round 15-meter rosette, created colored stained-glass windows, designed towers, and built a pyramidal spire.
The Cathedral of Our Lady began to be built in 1015 from red Vosgesian sandstone, which gave the temple a pink tint. When laying the first stone, Bishop Warner von Habsburg and the German king were present. The latter was the emperor of the Roman Empire (Henry II the Holy).
However, the solemn ceremony of laying in the presence of the highest spiritual and state officials, the consecration of stones did not save the building from impending disasters. The partially erected cathedral in 1176 was almost destroyed by fire. I had to start all over again.
The main nave was built by the French. It was built until 1275. It is a typical example of French Gothic. The western facade was decorated with hundreds of sculptural sculptures.
German architects began the construction of two towers - the north and south. North rose with great difficulty. The reason is the lack of funds, the resistance of the French, and the unstable political situation. Generations of architects and builders changed. The tower was completed only in 1439. It was possible to proceed with the construction of the south tower. And again the same problems arose - lack of funds, lack of German architects. In addition, the French king wanted to ensure independence from the Pope and decided on his own to finish building one tower. This did not happen, and the cathedral remained in its splendor unfinished since 1439.
