A long time you would believe i was in the stock to bill. I the grandam of cathedrals. But on that day you found out that i was fragile. The time had come for me to tell you my incredible story. My story began in the mid 12th century in the dreams of the bishop of paris malise to sally a dream that was both fabulous and impossible it will never stand. But nothing not even the king of france had been able to resist the determination of my founder who in 1163 blessed my 1st stone it will be not true good for you troll not for a dime to his project exceeded everything that paris had seen my builders set to work with the end of the asm of new beginnings they had to try to learn to improve for everything had to be invented. Stone after stone they raised me out of the ground. My construction and through fortunes and awaken my old enemies its not only possible that you should love but in 20 years they successfully completed my quiet. I cried for my 1st builders. The hardships ill duck and construction dragged on. Fortunately other builders took over the reins and. Their ambition remained intact it was they who built my name of 127 metres long with its forest of 1300 beams and its 3 monumental portals which they decorated with extraordinary sculptures. They painted my facades. But it still wasnt enough so they disassembled what they had patiently built to raise me even higher. Before crowning me with us by a. In 1240 after 80 years of instruction my 2 towers finally rose above paris yet the state of grace was the last short lived. In the middle 13th century my story was only beginning. I had just joined the ranks of major cathedrals when a formidable rival came on the scene a stones throw from my towers the same chair penned a masterpiece of virtue was city and elegant. Next to its insolent beauty all that was marvelous 20 years before now seemed to heavy and dark. Would construction have to resume. But where to find the strength to begin again. By chance another encounter occurred between a young Master Builder and one of the damask roses brought back from the aria during the crusades. All it took was one encounter to start over again. It is the year 1248 shonda shell has decided to exceed the wonders of the century abandoned by matching the beauty of that most perfect of creations. Geometry symmetry the Master Builder who takes the reins belongs to a new generation whose dreams are augmenting by science. It enables him to create rose windows of incredible virtuosity for the of assads of my transcend. The complexity of johns drawing of the roses edited for it is based on the repetition of the same forms and hence the same blocks of stone. But what really appealed to the bishop and canons was the size of these rows windows 13 meters in diameter the largest in all of christendom. The 2 facades of my transept had to be entirely disassembled in order to achieve this feat john the shells wager was risky but more he says sally would have surely taken the risk. But builders who could meet this challenge still had to be found for the times had changed. The architecture initiated a century earlier in paris had spread to other friends where it took on its name opus friends to get out which is to say the french style. For i was imitated everywhere and now well beyond the kingdoms borders the major cities of europe were snatching away french builders in 100 years they would transport more stones than ancient egypt. It may come as a surprise but it was in the dark heat of the smithy that john sought out his 1st allies. For he knew that stone had exhausted its resources and nothing spectacular could be accomplished without i. I need to tell a secret. The beautiful outlines of stone if the drills are also held up by a corset of metal. Skillfully hidden a few iron staples. And beneath the lace work of my windows rugs of lead. Imagine the metal armature that had to be forged with a large rose windows. The most renowned masters were all employed at other Building Sites if you thought about my request and it all had trouble finding his man i need your answer are except thank you the taciturn smith was young he had much to prove. Up. But the stained glass would require all the skill of that greatest of masters the glass maker of the same shop as the old man was at the end of his life withdrawn in his workshop with his daughter at his age the adventure was unreasonable. But how to resist but my daughter will come to paris to get the designs. Thank you. It will be a masterpiece. John had rekindled the flame of my building site after the era of stone and wood i was now entering that of metal and glass. But had these Young Builders measured the scope of the task ahead. Not only would they have to compete with nature. But they had to move quickly to catch the other cathedrals unaware. Following johns plans stone cutters chiseled the blocks for the tracery that would hold the immense wind. In a new band smiting the craftsmanship the iron armatures that will allow the rose window to resist the attacks of the wind. The transepts north the sod rises before their eyes. The 1st panels of glass begin to arrive in paris. Never had a glass maker undertaken such a colossal challenge. Each panel had to be drawn 1st in full size. Old testament kings and prophets dozens of medallions over 25000 pieces of multicolored glass. The old master works with the zeal of a man who knows his days are numbered. And where the bouquet. Of all the colors the most precious is a deep blue the blue of kings and the virgin mary drawn from cobalt out or its formula is jealously kept and its price exorbitant. Critic covered with it. Colored back cover i and her magen is the thousands of panes would be sturdily assembled using lead sticks. The rows windows will have to resist both storms and centuries. When the planes are finished the glass makers daughter escorts them to paris where they will be installed yet. At all after paddle my rose begins to bloom. The night was dangerous during the middle ages. When she would come to paris the young woman found refuge beneath my vaults among the in her little sick sick in a cure. But need the watchful eye of the Church Warden the cathedrals police strolled. Past the gods this harlot was conjuring up satan. We werefor shes a witch. What would a young womans word be against the cannons accusations. Witchcraft was punishable by death. The reputation of the old master didnt change a thing. The tragedy got the better of his fragile health. Thus would end the dream of a rose and the life of a young woman. Far away which. They grasp and where a brotherhood the young woman was one of their. As for the horrible cannon people say he threw himself from my towers out of guilt. Only one thing mattered for my building was that the return of his daughter would restore the old masters health. But it was too late. No matter that glass working was forbidden to women like most of the other occupations of the cathedral. The glass makers daughter would show the error of this stupid rule she would learn to paint in great talons the faces of kings the folds of their clothes she had attended the best school. The smith would melt the lead. All together they would finish her fathers masterpiece. Was damn masterpiece. Yes. But. I like to say that the north rose is the daughter of love. My grace. In 1250 it begins to radiate its magical light it is the largest in all of christendom. 20 years later the 2nd rose window will bloom on my south facade. A visitor during the middle ages described them as so wonderful that the soul cannot help but contemplate that. It is the year 1270 im a little over 100 years old and my. Action is about to finish the time has come to make my voice higher. The bells are grans giants. The small ones which people call the sparrows weigh 500 kilos the for. A trifle compared to the enormous 10000 bells that will join them later. So that my stone skeleton can resist their ringing my builders had the really and idea of constructing a belfry or a wooden tower built inside my stone and ours it absorbs their terrible swinging without touching my wall. The bells are consecrated each one christened with a name dion passkey a temple. They will sing an hour in. The sound of the alarm of danger. As appeals highway. The regions will live to the rhythm of my heartbeat. I will sound when it is time to wake up time to start work. I will sound the great powers of the history of france. The 2. I would like to tell you a beautiful story about a cathedral loved by the humble pampered by the powerful. I could boast of the splendor of my choir as great. Panels sculpted by the immeasurably of the 14th century. Notre dame majestic protective sailing the stormy seas of history. Centuries later grateful kings will offer me their infinitely craze for marbles. But all this beauty distracts us from the tragedy that is unfolding. The admiration that one surrounded me has slowly disappeared. In the 16th century the acts of. My architecture would henceforth be referred to by a scornful gothic meaning barbarous and primitive. I would henceforth live in the shadow of other monuments. After the time of the theater as came the time of palaces. Models of the renaissance in a while valley. They were the builders a new masterpieces. Then it was the majestic symmetry of versailles which would outshine me. But in 1789 the french revolution upset this old world. It brought tremendous hope to the people but proved a difficult ordeal for monuments. A period of uncertainty began for churches like myself. They started by removing my bells the young republic needed their brands to cast cannons. I was forced to open my eyes i also embodied the past from which the revolution wanted to make a clean break. Even worse i was linked to the monarchy to the king who had just been the capitated. In the year 793 my fate is in the hands of a man named baron and entrepreneur who switched to a lucrative sector destruction. Dont think that i was a victim of blind vandalism veron followed a program established in high places. No symbol of the despised time of kings in feudalism must remain. To demolish or provided an estimate. Everything had to be quantified down to the restoration of the square which would be damaged by the falling statues. For wise men. Poor somerset decapitated like so many others. My persecutors dear thick black paint on johns splendid stained glass windows to eliminate flood alise and crowns. The art and memory of the middle ages was being wiped out an ether virus impassive gaves. This grim undertaking took nearly 10 months. For a time i was transformed into a temple of reason to welcome the new revolutionary religion. But nothing could be done i no longer had a role in. The authorities intervene solely as a matter of public health. The tatars from my count of stone i sold at auction for a discount to service ballast the buyers name is bear child he has 24 hours to clear their promises. Sometimes history plays tricks on us. But some effort into it we dont have much time. On that summer night in 796. 00 in paris the courtyard of a private mansion hosted a rather mysterious ceremony. The remains of my statues had ended up in the hands of a fat head loyalist. Theyve made tunes to shelter them from the storms of history. In 1804 i even believe that my past glory had retired with 15000 guests for an imperial coronation. Or it was either that napoleon chose to celebrate the ceremony making him the emperor of france. On that day i was the queen of cathedrals indeed. But the splendors of my decoration brisk leading as the hers reign. And with each season my condition worsened. I was exhausted by the centuries abandoned my gown in tatters my sad lot no longer interested any one. The. Turn of the kings to the throne didnt change a thing. After all why would i escape the fate of so many other ancient monuments. Behold precious to me edges abbey. Ruins have a beauty of their own like fossils they harbor within the memory of their past glory. But the 19th century would not be my grave. Because one man rebelled. During his long visits he would murmur words of hulk i was his vast symphony of stones the colossal work of an entire people. This man who was indignant about my sorry fate is no more than a poet but he believes in the power of the word. Have you recognized him. His name is victor hugo. In this here 1831 with the stroke of a pen he has saved these unpopular middle ages from oblivion and brought in chant back to the old paris of my splendor. He repopulates be with imaginary figures. The beautiful as morale and the hunchback quasi modo transform the way parisian see their old is a troll. The novel is a huge success and it bears my note. It will be the 1st stone of my 2nd founding. In 1044 the brand new commission for Historic Monuments ordered a major restoration of the cathedral of paris. The giant project was intrusted to 2 young architects heres the 1st one as certain eugene reveal layla duke his barely 30 years old with little experience but a confidence that is disconcerting. To believe him he knows what a gothic cathedral is better than maurice to sally. Up. Eugene. How would take it as a favor if youd work in our office. Or under for lets go. History has somewhat neglected his colleague in mentor last year but in the eyes of the commission he was the more qualified of the 2. I just heard from the commission they are enthusiastic. But they would like to know how much all of this will cost. Lets not scare them now ive just had 2 or 3 ideas that i absolutely must discuss with you and what are these new ideas large scale work would begin once again but to be honest i didnt find this strange duo entirely reassuring words like you can clearly see the marks on for you to think that its part of everything it stood for 6 centuries. And what a pleasure to see the teeming activity of a building site once more my causative scaffolding the warm aroma of the forge the music of chisels against stone all of the gestures that the craftsman have passed down over the centuries. What. Good trail the priority is to reinforce everything that is collapsing. To replace ailing stones with grand new blocks. During the 1000 century marked by inequality elite artisans rub elbows with a crowd of laborers who sacrifice their health for a pittance. All this poverty when badly. Hurt how come we found something. 6 centuries of building modification and destruction had made me an enigma making sense of this puzzle would require the skill of a surgeon and the mind of a detective. This is how the duke turned the entire profession against him i was starting to like him this 1000 century man who spoke of the middle ages as though he had lived at the time. Since childhood this brilliant draftsman dreamed of knights castles and gothic churches. During the course of his travels he had gathered tremendous knowledge which he was now putting to use for me by redesigning the ornamentation that had disappeared. But when sources were lacking he didnt hesitate to give his imagination free reign. He had such an intimate knowledge of gotham art that he was convinced it spirit came flooding back into his drawing. Thousands of drawing. Thats how violated duke began to cover my facades with entirely personal creation. Worried expression. Sullen faces. Threatening. In late 847 after 3 years of construction and the till is already empty. They were able to reinforce the sections that were collapsing new statues were placed in the gallery of kings but its a far cry from the promises of the 2 architects who would announce the reworking of the windows and rose windows and the construction of us a christian. Anger was rumbling in the capital. 1848. 00 driven by misery and a thirst for liberty for reasons rose up once more against the monarchy. So it would be the century of great revolution. I had already seen 3 forms of government since my restoration began monarchy a short lived republic and the 2nd empire which swore by a single disturbing word madame. The capital shook beneath the largest building project in its history. By order of napoleon the 3rd Baron Haussmann cut avenues and boulevards through the city. My old paris had had its day. What would become of me in this new city. Someone would have to plead my case if construction were to resume. But until now my architects had skillfully navigated the changes and government but they were not in favor under the empire. Ill go down in history as the 2 weather vanes. Always on the side of power from but thats only the job or at least do we really have a choice. Were not going to stop here. To charm the emperor. Transform himself into a theater decorator. Brocades gilding velvet canopies heavy wall hangings. The architect proposed to prefer the shmita host major imperial ceremonies. His drawings hit the bulls eye. Napoleon the 3rd and empress eugenie became infatuated with these neil gothic visions the resumption of work became an affair of state. The money that had been so sorely lacking would no longer be a problem. It is the year 853 and my architects now have carte blanche. Listening only to themselves relieved you can last you will intervene everywhere. You go. There isnt a single block a single stitch or loop of my stone lace work that isnt scrutinized during their restoration. Despite protest the gallery windows are restored according to viola dukes wishes. The flying buttresses are completely reworked and crowned with pinnacles. They set my walls grizzling with an army of god oils. Criticism outs as violated ucas faulted for inventing a cathedral. That never existed instead of restoring him you may be surprised but i can imagine the structures of adam and eve the level of the rose when an excellent idea. The restoration turns into an obsession related uke is not content with reinforcing the south rose window he orders it to be entirely disassembled and thailand by a half adult. He reconfigures each of the chuckles. As a new religious caste. And bills as a crystal for which he designs all of the painted decorations and furniture down to the least ironwork. Also designs the literal objects including a relic wafer the holy crown bought by st louis which was finally given to me. Just 5 years after resuming work one final project remains building the medieval spire above the pillars of my transept. It had to be brought down a century earlier due to its damaged condition. The architects spend a long time observing my frame work studying the remains of my old spire amid this jungle of centuries old beams. They are familiar with its modest shape through numerous drawings. Already. In view of all they had accomplished it was a small undertaking yet but fate decided otherwise. On july 15th 857 last you suddenly dies at nights they create all these but got them on dona nobis potter and she too would not see his finished work id missed this but my debt to him is no less great dona nobis bunch. Who remembers back east last you. Can recognize among the kings in my gallery the face of this generous and passionate grasp. Related to cad lost a friend and someone who kindly contradicted him. Rebuilding my spire was all that was left but my last architect was alone. Facing this century torn between his taste for the past and an insatiable thirst for modality my restoration work seemed anachronistic at a time when the Industrial Revolution was promising the lure of other wonder. When long metal beings stretched into areas structures when a large glass dome is began to replace the. Stained glass of churches how to resist the temptation of metal. It had already intruded upon the framework of the venerable shelter a cathedral which had been the victim of a fire. But for viola duke that was an insult to the genius of my builders. She would make my spire out of wood just as they did in the middle ages. But it would be full of a grace and a virtuous city that maurice does sally himself would never have dreamed that. The dukes carpenters carried on the rituals of the 1st builders. They took the art of drawing lines to new heights. For the uninitiated they are no more than strange strokes esoteric geometry. But in these drawings the initiated could read the form dimensions and precise location of every being. In 86620 years after the start of construction reveal a dukes craftsman raised the framework from by news by. Its steep slopes feature the 12 apostles 12 cup of guardians gazing into the distance. All except for one saint thomas the patron saint of architects of elated to catch the insolence of turning him toward his masterpiece and giving him his own features. This marvel of grace was given a place of pride. 93 meters above the ground. That made me the largest monument in paris of the time. And viola duke one of the most fascinating architects of his time. For he was not simply content with the reinventing gothic architecture. Related you could turn me into a book of images one that enduring the shape your representation of the middle ages. My 54 kind miras which a burst forth from his imagination others sisters of quasi modo grotesque and magnificent. The public was thrilled by his creatures but without really understanding what drove the all powerful architect with. One of them would become i am with. A melancholy ageless demon the stretch who watches the capitals agitation with bewilderment. You may be wondering what i think of the ole the dukes great restoration. Was it a betrayal. Or a resurrection. It was Something Else an encounter. And like every genuine encounter it changed both of us. Vila to do didnt just revise my past splendor. Is uncompromising quest for beauty and perfection was also a tribute to all those that had proceeded. To their genius to their courage to their daring. And their dreams. Which people said work improbable. Remember those who built. A miraculous lisa vive the shocks of the 20th century to almost disappear in a monday night fire. Yet ive never been closer to. The grand old queen of the theatres. I remind you that humans were able to Work Together across generations and centuries. To build an incredible model. That surpassed them all. The big. Most. Equal opportunities for everyone regardless of ethnicity or appearance unfortunately for many migrants in germany fact remains a distant dream. Many companies are trying to make the application process is more inclusive but does that really help against discrimination. Made in germany. 30 minutes on d w. What secrets lie behind this was the discover new adventures in 360 degree. And explore fascinating World Heritage sites. T. W. World heritage 360 get kidnapped now. Been told it is for me. Is for. Beethoven is for him beethoven is for her. And beethoven is for. Beethoven is for every one. Of beethoven 2020 vision of the 50th anniversary here on d w. This is c w news live from Berlin Germany announces the 1st steps towards lifting its lockdown and reopening the economy. We have to understand that as long as theres no vaccine we have to live with the virus the. Chancellor Angela Merkel says beginning next monday small shops cant open for business to get that social distancing measures will stay in place all