19th-century completion thumb|left|The cathedral in 1880, nearing the end of its construction. With the 19th-century Romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages, and spurred by the discovery of the original plan for the façade, the Protestant Prussian Court working with the church, committed to complete the cathedral. It was achieved by civic effort; the Central-Dombauverein, founded in 1842, raised two-thirds of the enormous costs, while the Prussian state supplied the remaining third. The state saw this as a way to improve its relations with the large number of Catholic subjects it had gained in 1815, but especially after 1871, it was regarded as a project to symbolize German nationhood.
19th-century completion thumb|left|The cathedral in 1880 nearing the end of its construction With the 19th-century Romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and spurred by the discovery of the original plan for the façade the Protestant Prussian Court working with the church committed to complete the cathedral It was achieved by civic effort; the Central-Dombauverein founded in 1842 raised two-thirds of the enormous costs while the Prussian state supplied the remaining third The state saw this as a way to improve its relations with the large number of Catholic subjects it had gained in 1815 but especially after 1871 it was regarded as a project to symbolize German nationhood