Consider the Cologne Cathedral. Begun in 1248, the Gothic jewel was to be the main place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperors. Frederick II, one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages, knew he would not see its completion. Consistent building continued until 1473. Halted during the sixteenth century, the construction was completed in 1880 according to the original plan —632 years and two months after the turn of the first shovel. Towering above the city skyline to this day, the building owes its overwhelming grandeur to its meticulous design and execution over centuries. Even with modern engineering and materials, it would be impossible to duplicate the Cologne Cathedral.

During World War II, the cathedral suffered tremendous damage during air-raids: no fewer than fourteen heavy bombs reduced it to a pitiful state. Restoration and reconstruction work rendered the eastern end usable in time for the centenary celebrations in 1948, but the remainder of the building was not restored fully until 1956.

The completion and restoration of this beautiful place of worship depended on the patient skill of countless individuals who knew that they would probably never see the ribbon-cutting ceremony.