The construction started in 1248, and by 1265, the choir aisles and chevet had been finished. Despite the fact that building on the cathedral ceased and certain elements remained incomplete, it was consecrated in 1322. Due to the French Revolution, when the city was captured by the French soldiers, the structure was repurposed as a jail, with portions of it turned into storage rooms and barracks, and the furniture of the nave used mostly for firewood. The renovation began again in the 19th century, and the Germans marked the inauguration of the magnificent cathedral with a national celebration in 1880.