| Great Saint Martin Church | |
|---|---|
| Klosterkirche Groß Sankt Martin | |
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| 50°56′19″N 6°57′42″E / 50.9386°N 6.9618°E | |
| Location | Innenstadt, Cologne, Germany |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | www.romanische-kirchen-koeln.de |
| History | |
| Founded | c.960 AD |
| Dedication | St. Martinus |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 50 metres (160 ft) |
| Height | 75 metres (246 ft) |
The Great Saint Martin Church (German: Groß Sankt Martin, mostly shortened to Groß St. Martin, pronounced [ˈɡʁoːs ˌzaŋt ˈmaʁtɪn] or [- maʁˈtiːn] , Colognian: [ˈjʁus² ˌtsɪnt ˈmɛ²təs] )[what does "²" mean?] is a Romanesque Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. Its foundations (c.960 AD) rest on remnants of a Roman chapel, built on what was then an island in the Rhine. The church was later transformed into a Benedictine monastery. The current buildings, including a soaring crossing tower that is a landmark of Cologne's Old Town, were erected between 1150-1250. The architecture of its eastern end forms a triconch or trefoil plan, consisting of three apses around the crossing, similar to that at St. Maria im Kapitol. The church was badly damaged in World War II; restoration work was completed in 1985.
As of 2009 Great Saint Martin is being used by a branch of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem and is open for visits again.