The Shrine of the Magi in Cologne
Welcome to the first post of 2026! Can’t quite believe it’s 2026, but here we are. In my round up post of 2025, I said that the first post would be on Clara Grant, a woman who gave out bundles of gifts to the poor children of the East End of London. However, between Christmas and New Year, I watched a programme on the wonderful Christmas markets in Cologne, which are the largest in the world. In that programme, the presenter visited Cologne Cathedral and its most famous relic, the Shrine of the Magi (the Three Kings of the Nativity). I say most famous, but I had no idea of the story, so I thought I would use the opportunity to write about in the first post of 2026, especially as Epiphany, or the celebration of the Magi’s visit to the Baby Jesus, is on 6th January. Plus one of my favourite Christmas carols is We Three Kings.
Like many, whether you are a church goer, like me, or not, will remember that the Christmas story involves Three Kings, or Wise Men, visiting the Baby Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The story of them has changed a little over time. It’s only from the 6th century that the Wise Men started to be depicted as Kings. Despite that, I had no idea just how much of a connection they had with Cologne. I just picture them following the star to Bethlehem to meet Jesus and then probably making their long journey back home afterwards, avoiding Herod as they went. However, the belief, legend, whatever you wish to call it, is more complicated and deeply connected with Cologne’s identity.
Helena, the mother of the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine, supposedly found the tomb of the Magi in the Holy Land. She had a talent for this, for she also found a piece of the true Cross whilst she was there. From the Holy Land, the bones of the Magi travelled with her to Constantinople, now Istanbul. In 314, the Milanese Bishop Eustorgius took them with him to Milan. There they stayed until 1164, when Milan was besieged and fell. Upon the fall of Milan, Rainald von Dassal, the Archbishop of Cologne brought them to Cologne, where they have stayed ever since.
The remains of the Magi are inside a wonderfully decorated reliquary box designed by Nicholas of Verdun, a Flemish craftsman who was seen as the greatest goldsmith and enamellist of his age. Little is known about him as he was an itinerant craftsman, just like many similar tradesmen were in medieval times, but his work was most popular between 1150 and 1210. He designed many beautifully decorated items for churches in Northern Europe, but many have been latterly restored, losing his personal touch. However, the Shrine of the Magi is one of his best preserved examples. It was built between 1190 and 1220, meaning that the box was probably finished by others. However, the earlier bits of the box, including the prophet figures featured on it, would have been made and designed by Nicholas, with other bits overseen by him, but completed by his assistants.
The box itself is made of a complicated construction. Inside it is wood, overlaid with gold, silver, and enamelling. It’s decorated with over 1,000 jewels and beads, which just add to the decadence of the item. It’s importance lies in not just who is supposedly buried inside, but also in its uniqueness.
For a start, it’s one of the largest reliquaries in the Western world, standing at 7 feet long and 5 feet high. It’s also seen as the best example of Mosan art, a regional style that is known for its elaborate and intricate metal and enamel work. The sculptures of people featured on it, and worked on personally by Nicholas of Verdun, are also seen as the most important metal sculptures of the 12th century. I’m pretty sure that the image I’ve found for this post, don’t do it justice, and certainly don’t show off the enamelling and jewels well enough.
The Magi are a huge part of Cologne and the Cathedral’s history. There is also a 15th century altarpiece in the Cathedral’s Lady Chapel, which depicts the Adoration of the Magi. For Cologne itself, the Magi are the city’s patron saints, alongside St Ursula and St Gereon, and the city’s coat of arms features three crowns for the three kings. In 2014, the city celebrated 850 years since the Magi arrived in Cologne and various events were put on to commemorate this, including a large exhibition of historical items featuring the Magi and the Nativity.
The Cathedral at Cologne itself was built specifically to house the Shrine of the Magi, meaning its whole history is forever connected to the Magi. An original cathedral was built in the Romanesque style not long after the Shrine arrived in Cologne. The Shrine was as key a feature of that original cathedral as it is to the current one. The Romanesque cathedral sadly burnt down in a fire in 1248, meaning a replacement had to be built.
That replacement, the one that still exists now, has ended up being a unique survivor too, just like the Shrine of the Magi held within. In medieval times, Cathedrals could take hundreds of years to build, but perhaps Cologne outdoes them all, and not just because it is the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe. It wasn’t finished until 1880, meaning it took 632 years to build. There were many reasons for that. Building stopped in the 1500s, presumably due to the Reformation, and it was left as a disused construction site, including a wooden crane. Then in the 1790s, when France was at war with much of Europe following the French Revolution, soldiers occupied the site and used it for stabling. Building work only properly resumed in the 1820s, when Gothic Revival and interest in the Medieval was becoming fashionable again.
During World War Two, Cologne suffered much bomb damage. The cathedral was also a victim of this. Thankfully, the original medieval glass had already been removed for safety, meaning it was only 19th century glass that was damaged. The cathedral’s treasures were also kept in safety, which is thankfully why the Shrine of the Magi has also survived. Some of the cathedral’s interiors were damaged though, meaning post-war restoration and repairs had to be done.
In general, thanks to the surviving of both the Shrine of the Magi and Cologne Cathedral too, has meant that the Magi has continued to be essential to the identity of Cologne as a city. It has also ensured that pilgrims can still visit, just as they have done ever since the Magi arrived in 1164. Veneration for them has also continued with respect. The reliquary box has only been opened once in July 1864, when it was confirmed that bones were inside, along with many coins, possibly left as a thank you to these saints by previous pilgrims to the site. Let’s hope that it continues to welcome visitors and pilgrims for many more years to come.
Cologne Cathedral, ‘The Shrine of the Magi’, https://www.koelner-dom.de/en/tour/cologne-cathedral-and-the-jews/the-shrine-of-the-magi
Atlas Obscura, ‘The Shrine of the Three Kings’, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/three-kings-reliquary-cologne
Britannica, ‘Nicholas of Verdun’, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicholas-of-Verdun
Daniel Esparza, ‘Discovering the relics of the Magi– in Germany’, Aleteia, https://aleteia.org/2025/01/07/discovering-the-relics-of-the-magi-in-germany/
Britannica, ‘Nicholas of Verdun’
Schnutgen Museum, ‘The Magi: Legend, Art and Cult’, https://museum-schnuetgen.de/The-Magi
Ibid
Britannica, ‘Cologne Cathedral’, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cologne-Cathedral
Ibid
Ibid
Daniel Esparza, ‘Discovering the relics of the Magi’
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