Terror alert - Cologne Cathedral closed to tourists until further notice
Due to the terror alert, Cologne Cathedral will remain closed to tourists until further notice. "All liturgical services will take place, unfortunately tourist visits are not possible," said the cathedral's head of security, Oliver Gassen, to the German Press Agency on Tuesday. "The cathedral will be closed between services." Normally, the cathedral is visited by more than 100,000 people from Christmas to New Year. Unfortunately, this will not be possible this year due to the special security situation.
Of course, this is a shame, Cathedral Provost Guido Assmann regretted. "People coming from faraway countries to spend a few days in Cologne and then not being able to visit the cathedral is already a restriction. But safety comes first." In any case, worshippers would not have been deterred by the terror alert. "The faithful came - the Christmas mass was fuller than last year," emphasized Assmann, who as provost of the cathedral presides over the cathedral chapter - the cathedral's governing body.
According to dpa, the security authorities had received information about a possible plan by an Islamist group to attack Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna. According to the Cologne police, the information related to New Year's Eve. In Austria, four people were arrested during investigations into an Islamist network. According to the public prosecutor's office, three were investigated for membership of a terrorist organization in connection with terrorist crimes.
Statement from the cathedral
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The terror alert affected not only Cologne Cathedral, but also prompted authorities in Austria to conduct investigations and make arrests linked to a potential Islamist attack on a church in Vienna around New Year's Eve. Despite the heightened security, the faithful continued to attend services at Cologne Cathedral, with the Christmas mass reportedly more crowded than the previous year. The incident reminds us that while tourists might be disappointed, safety measures are a priority, especially during the festive period in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The German Press Agency reported that the head of security at Cologne Cathedral, Oliver Gassen, stated that while tourist visits were not possible, all scheduled liturgical services would continue.
Source: www.stern.de
