Due to the increased risk of terrorist attacks, the cathedral in Cologne remains closed to visitors, with the exception of worshipers entering the masses, the German police announced.
“For entry into the cathedral for liturgical reasons, such as attending meditation or confession, access will be provided after police control. For other types of visits, the cathedral remains closed for security reasons,” stated a joint statement by the police and the Cologne Archdiocese.
Thus Cologne Cathedral, the most visited tourist site in Germany, remains closed between Christmas and New Year when the cathedral is usually visited by over 100,000 tourists.
Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Volki thanked the police, who, he said, made sure that the faithful could celebrate Christmas in the cathedral without fear.
Security measures were introduced last weekend due to suspicions of preparing terrorist attacks on the cathedrals in Cologne and Vienna, agencies report.
The Ministry of the Interior in Berlin talks about the currently increased threat of terrorism.
Authorities also fear riots on New Year’s Eve like those last year when residents, mostly of migrant origin, across Germany attacked police and firefighters with pyrotechnics.
