Freiburg Minster (german: Freiburger Münster or Münster Unserer Lieben Frau) is the cathedral of

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...

, southwest

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The last

duke of Zähringen Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...

had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly built on the foundations of an original church that had been there from the beginning of Freiburg, in 1120. In the Middle Ages, Freiburg lay in the

Diocese of Konstanz The Prince-Bishopric of Constance, (german: Hochstift Konstanz, Fürstbistum Konstanz, Bistum Konstanz) was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-12th century until its secularisation in 1802–1803. In his dua ...

. In 1827, Freiburg Minster became the seat of the newly erected Catholic

Archdiocese of Freiburg The Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau (Latin ''Archidioecesis Friburgensis'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in Baden-Württemberg comprising the former states of Baden and Hohenzollern. The Archdiocese of Freiburg is led by an archbishop, who als ...

, and thus a cathedral.

Architecture

The Swiss historian

Jacob Burckhardt Carl Jacob Christoph Burckhardt (25 May 1818 – 8 August 1897) was a Swiss historian of art and culture and an influential figure in the historiography of both fields. He is known as one of the major progenitors of cultural history. Sigfri ...

once said that the church's 116-meter tower ''will forever remain the most beautiful spire on earth''. His remark gave rise to the frequently heard misquote of the most ''beautiful tower in the whole of Christianity''. The tower is nearly square at the base, and at its centre is the dodecagonal star gallery. Above this gallery, the tower is octagonal and tapered, and above this, is the spire. It is the only

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

church tower in Germany that was completed in the Middle Ages (1330), and has lasted until the present, surviving the bombing raids of November 1944, which destroyed all of the houses on the west and north side of the market. The tower was subject to severe vibration at the time, and its survival of these vibrations is attributed to its lead anchors, which connect the sections of the spire. The windows had been taken out of the spire at the time by church staff led by Monsignor Max Fauler, and so these also suffered no damage. Freiburg Minster was not the seat of a bishop until 1827, long after it was built. The tower has 16 bells, the oldest being the "Hosanna" bell from 1258, which weighs 3,290 kilograms. This bell can be heard on Thursday evening after the

Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. As with many Catholic prayers, the name ''Angelus'' is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: ("The Angel of the Lord ...

, on Friday at 11:00 am (a time consequently known as "Spätzleglocke"), on Saturday evenings, and each year on 27 November in remembrance of the air raid.

Interior

There are two important altars inside the cathedral: the high altar of

Hans Baldung Hans Baldung (1484 or 1485 – September 1545), called Hans Baldung Grien, (being an early nickname, because of his predilection for the colour green), was a painter, printer, engraver, draftsman, and stained glass artist, who was considered th ...

, and another altar of

Hans Holbein the Younger Hans Holbein the Younger ( , ; german: Hans Holbein der Jüngere; – between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a Germans, German-Swiss people, Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered o ...

in a side chapel. The inner portal contains sculptures of

the Ten Virgins The Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins or the Parable of the ten bridesmaids, is one of the parables of Jesus. According to , ten virgins await a bridegroom; five have brought enough oil fo ...

. The nave windows were donated by the

guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

, and the symbols of the guilds are featured on them. The deep red color in some of the windows is not the result of a dye, but instead the result of a suspension of solid gold nanoparticles. In 2003, the

Lenten cloth Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Lu ...

was restored and backed with a supporting material. It now weighs over a ton, and so must be carried from the workshop with heavy machinery for its use during

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

Bells

The cathedral holds 19 bells, altogether 25 tonnes, making it one of the largest peals in Germany.

Burials

Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen (1160 – 18 February 1218 in Freiburg im Breisgau), also known as Bertold V or Berchtold V, was Duke of Zähringen from 1186 until his death. He was the son of Berthold IV and Heilwig of Frohburg. History and lega ...

*The

Locherer Johann Nepomuk Locherer (August 21, 1773 – February 26, 1837) was a German Catholic theologian born in Freiburg im Breisgau. From 1790 he studied theology in Freiburg, and furthered his education at the seminary in Meersburg. In 1798 he received ...

family (altarpiece by Hans Sixt)

Legal situation

From the time of its construction, the cathedral was not owned by the Roman Catholic Church but by the people of Freiburg. In the Middle Ages, the situation changed so that the building was self-owned, and administered by a guardian appointed by the people of the city. More recently, the ''Münsterbauverein'' association was created, which now legally owns the cathedral.

Conservation

For the conservation of the cathedral, the '' Freiburger Münsterbauverein'' ("Freiburg Minster-Upkeep Association") was established. The association invests several million euros each year in the care and maintenance of the building and its interior. The present architect in charge is Yvonne Faller and the chair of the association is Sven von Ungern-Sternberg.

Gallery

File:Freiburg Münster Hochaltar 01.jpg, High altar File:Freiburg Münster rechtes Seitenschiff Märtyrerfenster 01.jpg, Martyrs' Window File:00 0743 Freiburg Minster - Hahnenturm.jpg, Hahnen tower File:Freiburg-Gargoyles Freiburg Minster-men and mythical creature-12ASD.jpg, Exterior view File:Freiburg-Gargoyles Freiburg Minster-ram-04ASD.jpg, Ram-like creature as gargoyle File:Freiburg-Freiburg Minster-Exterior-Gargoyles-03ASD.jpg, Gargoyles File:High altar of Freiburg Minster Hochaltar (geschlossen) von Hans Baldung Grien.jpg, High altar File:Freiburg Minster-front hall-sculptures-01ESD.jpg, Entrance hall

External links

''This article is based on a translation of the German Wikipedia article '' Freiburger Münster''.

Cathedral windows

References

{{Authority control Roman Catholic cathedrals in Baden-Württemberg Minster Gothic architecture in Germany Tourist attractions in Freiburg im Breisgau Burial sites of the House of Zähringen