Sebastian Strombach: Jeck – Der Comic zum Kölner Dom

In the organizer's words:

Author and comic artist Sebastian Strombach in conversation with Andreas Platthaus

When many quarrel, the cathedral rejoices. Wars, power struggles, dubious successions, epidemics, building disasters: all of these things promote its growth. When it becomes quiet in the shadow of the cathedral, it too falls into a deep sleep, and instead of spires, a wooden crane watches over Cologne. Fortunately, new rulers come and complete the cathedral, more beautifully than ever planned.

But who built the cathedral? Who invented the pointed arch? Who broke the light? Cologne Cathedral, an international joint effort, voluntary and involuntary, from the idea to the masonry: Medieval masonry joints - Ineffective. Prussian masonry joints - effective. The setting machines no. 2, 4, 5, 7... are rattling.

And the Cologne boys and girls? When they walk through the Veedel, the cathedral is sparkling, it's there and then it's not. But like the gargoyles at dizzying heights, God sees everything, and so the people of Cologne carry their cathedral in their hearts. All of them? Yes, all of them, each in their own way. Because every Jeck is different.

After "Verrückt. Der Comic zum Berliner Schloss", comic artist and architect Sebastian Strombach has completed his next major project: Jeck. The comic about Cologne Cathedral. On 244 pages, he traces the history of Cologne's landmark from the year 0 to the present day. Atmospheric, passionate, sometimes powerful and sometimes quiet, with a lot of attention to local detail and a few surprises - from Romans, bishops and kings to Rievkooche and the view of the cathedral from underground.

Andreas Platthaus, born in Aachen in 1966, is a German journalist, writer and author of several books about comics. He works as an editor and deputy features editor at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). He has been head of the "Literature and Literary Life" section there since February 2016.

An event in cooperation with the Haus der Architektur (hdak) as part of the event series "One hour of building culture every Tuesday at 7 pm".

Price information:

Registration via the booking system of the Cologne City Library is required.