New golden cross to decorate Berlin Cathedral

Installation of the 15-metre cross is expected in the third week of August. The cross replaces – and is modeled on – an older cross that was damaged while being removed for repairs in December 2006.

The new cross is part of a €1.6 million ($2.5 million) renovation of the cathedral dome, a major tourist attraction on the Spree River in central Berlin. Federal and state funding and private donations – including €80,000 in individual donations and €480,000 from the Cornelsen Endowment for the Arts – financed the project.

Built between 1894 and 1905 and designed by Julius Raschdorff, the cathedral is considered one of the most important Protestant church buildings in Germany.