Saint Peter's Church (German: ''St. Peterskirche'') is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church and
Minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
located in the small German town of
Fritzlar
Fritzlar () is a small town (pop. 15,000) in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history.
The town has a medieval center ringed by a wall with numerous watch towers. Thirty-eight meters (125& ...
. It is often colloquially referred to as a cathedral (German: ''Fritzlarer Dom''), due to its great size.
History
Earlier structures
A first Christian place of worship at ''Frideslar'' was built by
Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
around 723, reportedly from the wood of an
oak tree devoted to Donar. A church and monastery followed in ca. 732 under
Wigbert
Saint Wigbert, (Wihtberht) (May 7, 675 - August 13, 747) born in Wessex around 675, was an Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk and a missionary and disciple of Saint Boniface who travelled with the latter in Frisia and northern and central Germany to co ...
. None of these buildings have left any archaeological traces yet discovered, so the first concrete evidence is for a larger church that was built around the year 800 featuring a transept width of around 24 m and a total length of 24 m.
The church at Fritzlar was destroyed by the forces of
Rudolf of Rheinfelden
Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the Salian dynasty, Salian emperor Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, his election as German anti-king in 1077 mar ...
in 1079 during his confrontation with
Emperor Heinrich IV. An early attempt at rebuilding was soon abandoned.
Current church
The current church was started around 1085/90 as a High
Romanesque basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
. It was likely finished in 1118.
Between 1171 and 1232 a late Romanesque renovation followed. The roof truss above the choir was finished in 1194. The next stage of work already took place in the transitional period from the Romanesque to the
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 ...
: Between 1253 and 1276, the
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
also known as ''Paradies'', was added. The two fully Gothic southern side aisles date to 1290 to 1323. The Gothic ''Marienkapelle'' was constructed in 1354-65/6.
The (half-timbered) chapter hall was built on top of the northeastern crypt around 1560. The
rood screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
was replaced by a wrought-iron lattice in 1692. A simplified, low-ceilinged upper floor was added to the narthex in 1731, a porch was constructed at the northern portal in 1735. From 1799 to 1828 the high central tower was demolished and replaced by a lower pyramidical tower.
In 1868, a storm caused the southern tower spire to collapse during a mass, killing 21 and injuring 31 people. The spires and pediments of both western towers were then rebuilt around 1873 in
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
style.
Comprehensive renovation/repairs occurred in 1913-20 and 1963-70. In 1974, the church museum was opened.
In 2004, Pope
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
made the church a
Minor Basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
. Another renovation of the church interior took place 2010-12. In December 2012 it was reopened to the public.
Description
Church building
The current building is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic as well as later features, but in its current form retains the general external appearance of a Romanesque basilica. Original structures from this period include the main and north crypt, the walls of the transept, the core of the outer wall of the northern aisle, the polygonal choir apsis, the long choir, nave and the arched ceiling.
The furnishing is a more eclectic mix of styles. Interior features include a large crucifix from ca. 1300, a Baroque baptismal font (1693) and pulpit (1696), altars from 1703 (''Reliquienaltar''), 1680s/1690s (high altar) and the 1970s (''Pfarraltar'').
Bells
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Basilica churches in Germany
Roman Catholic churches in Hesse