The three sections that make up the box-like structure were being removed by crane, with the first removal completed before noon, Peter Fuessenich, who heads the work, said.

Once the scaffolding, which measures some 30 metres in height, is down, the cathedral’s western facade, main door and two towers will be free of scaffolding for the first time in a decade.

The view of the cathedral’s facade will then be unimpeded over the course of next year at least. But the structure is likely to need scaffolding again for essential maintenance work.

Construction of one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world dragged on over centuries, from its inception in 1248 to final completion in 1880.

Its survival of the World War II bombing virtually unscathed amid the ruins of the city was seen as a miracle by some.