Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) 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 let ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

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 betwee ...

, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of years. With an overall length of 103 metres, it is the fourth largest Romanesque church building in Germany, and a masterpiece of German architecture from the

Salian The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty (german: Salier) was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the la ...

period. Notable later additions include work by

Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculpture, sculptor and wood carving, woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic ar ...

and

Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; 27 January 1687 (?) – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...

. The cathedral was heavily damaged by British bombs in March 1945 but rebuilt post-World War II.

History

The present cathedral was built from 1040 onwards by Bishop Bruno of Würzburgis. It likely was the third church on the site: the previous two, built in about 787 and 855, were respectively destroyed and severely damaged by fire. After Bruno's accidental death in 1045, his successor Adalbero completed the building in 1075. Due to several rebuildings, notably after 1133, the cathedral was only consecrated in 1187. This church already had the strong cross lay-out still present today: a long

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

with a high

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, the broad

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

and the two narrow western towers. After 1237, the originally lower eastern towers were raised, showing features of early Gothic style. The side aisles were remodelled in about 1500 in the late

Gothic style 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 ...

. The stuccoist Pietro Magno decorated the cathedral in

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

work in 1701-04. In 1721-34,

built the burial chapel for the Schönborn bishops, north of the transept. Around the foot of the eastern tower, he also added a Baroque

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...

and ''Ornatkammer'' (1749). Additional changes made to the western façade and towers in 1879-85 (see picture of the cathedral in 1904) were removed after 1946. The greater part of the building collapsed in the winter of 1946 in consequence of the fire bombing of Würzburg on 16 March 1945. Reconstruction was completed in 1967, in the course of which the Baroque components were removed in favour of a re-Romanisation. The new interpretation emphasizes the contrast between the surviving historical parts of the structure, resulting in a sometimes controversial combination of predominantly Romanesque with modern and Baroque elements. The

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 ...

west front with a

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window' ...

, the tripartite gallery and the opening for the clock were combined during the reconstruction with a plain pumice stone wall, and revealed again during renovation work up to November 2006. In 1988 the choir was redesigned by

Hubert Elsässer Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubertus or Hubert (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers. ...

. The

ceiling that had collapsed in 1946 was not rebuilt, but replaced by a flat wooden ceiling.

Description

With a length of 103 metres, the cathedral is reckoned to be the fourth largest 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 nam ...

in Germany.

Works of art

The cathedral contains numerous works of art, of which the following are of especial note: * A series of tombs and epitaphs of bishops, including the monumental effigies of the prince-bishops

Rudolf II von Scherenberg Rudolf II von Scherenberg (c. 1401 – 1495) was Bishop of Würzburg from 1466 until his death. His longevity (about 94) and long reign were significant. Rudolf von Scherenberg was the son of Erhard von Scherenberg and Anna von Massbach. On ...

(1495) and Lorenz von Bibra (1519), both by

* Schönborn Chapel by

and Maximilian von Welsch with the tombs of Johann Philipp von Schönborn, Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn * Double crypt. The eastern part dates from 1040 and contains the tomb of

Bruno Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

. The western one (12th century) was demolished around 1700 but rebuilt after 1962. It features an old well, the tomb of

Conrad of Querfurt Conrad of Querfurt (c. 1160 – 3 December 1202) was a prince of the church in the Kingdom of Germany. He was the bishop of Hildesheim (1194–1199) and the bishop of Würzburg (1198–1202), served two kings as chancellor (1194–1201) and went ...

and the oldest piece of art of the cathedral: a bearded face which may be Carolingean or even Merovingian in origin. * Burial chapel/Sepulture: Like the chapter hall above, the Gothic structure was destroyed in the bombing raids but has been rebuilt. It now contains a cycle of stained glass by

Georg Meistermann Georg Meistermann (June 16, 1911 – June 12, 1990) was a German painter and draftsman who was also famous for his stained glass windows in the whole of Europe. From 1930, Meistermann studied art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Werne ...

. *

Baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

(1279), by Meister Eckart of Worms * Seven-armed candelabra (1981) by Andreas Moritz

Layout of the main level of the building

:1. Trellis by Markus Gattinger (1750/52; outermost wings 1967) :2. Gottfried of Spitzberg (d 1190) :3. Bishop Gottfried III von

Hohenlohe The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire which was divided between several branches. The Hohenlohes became imperial counts in 1450. The county was divided numerous tim ...

(d 1322) :4. Bishop Manegold von Neuenburg (d 1303) :5. Bishop Otto II von Wolfskeel (d 1345; by the so-called ''Wolfskeel Master'') :6. Three kings with the Madonna :7. Bishop Wolfram von Grumbach (d 1333) :8. Bishop Johann II von Brunn (d 1440) :9. Bishop Albrecht II von Hohenlohe (d 1372) :10. Bishop Gottfried IV Schenk von Limpurg (d 1455) :11. Bishop

Rudolf von Scherenberg Rudolf II von Scherenberg (c. 1401 – 1495) was Bishop of Würzburg from 1466 until his death. His longevity (about 94) and long reign were significant. Rudolf von Scherenberg was the son of Erhard von Scherenberg and Anna von Massbach. On ...

(d 1495; by

) :12. Bishop Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt (d 1558; by Peter Dell the Younger) :13. Bishop Lorenz von Bibra (d 1519; by Tilman Riemenschneider) :14. Bishop Friedrich von Wirsberg (d 1573) :15. Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (d 1617; by Nikolaus Lenkhart) :16. Chancel :17. Bishop Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen (d 1622) :18. Ferdinand von Schlör (d 1924) :19. Choir and apse in stucco relief :20. North transept altar and Provost's Altar (by Pietro Magno 1704) :21. Provost Faust Franz Ludwig von Stromberg (d 1673; by Johann Philipp Preiss) :22. Portal to the sacristy :23. Bishop Gerhard von Schwarzburg (d 1400) :24. Lothar Franz von Schönborn (d 1729) :25. Altar of

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...

:26. Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn (d 1724) :27. Fresco of the Resurrection (by Byss) :28. Door to the Schönborn Chapel, with angel (by Curé) :29. Bishop Friedrich Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim (d 1746) :30. Altar of the

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning " pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific for ...

:31. Bishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn, also

Archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...

and Bishop of Worms (d 1673) :32. Bishop Conrad von Bibra (d 1544; by Peter Dell the Elder) :33. Altar of Our Lady :34. Dean Johann Konrad Kottwitz von Aulenbach (d 1610; by Zacharias Juncker) :35. Crypt entrance and exit :36. Bishop Konrad von Thüngen (d 1540; bronze plate) :37. Bishop Conrad von Bibra (d 1544; bronze plate) :38. Bishop Lorenz von Bibra (d 1519; bronze plate, by Hans Vischer and Peter Vischer the Elder) :39. Erasmus Neustetter known as Stürmer (d 1594; bronze plate) :40. Johann Philipp Fuchs von Dornheim (d 1727; bronze plate) :41. Richard von der Kere (d 1583; bronze plate) :42. Albrecht von Bibra, dean of the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. ...

(d 1511; bronze plate) :43. Gg. von Giech (d 1501; bronze plate) :44.

Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg (1583–1631) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1622 to 1631. Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg was born in Heinsheim, which is today a district of Bad Rappenau, on September 23, 1583, the son of Johann Heinrich von E ...

(d 1631; bronze plate) :45. Bishop

Franz Ludwig von Erthal Franz Ludwig Freiherr von Erthal (16 September 1730 in Lohr am Main - 14 February 1795 in Würzburg) was the prince-bishop of Würzburg and Bamberg from 1779 until his death. He was buried at the Würzburg Cathedral (#45 diagram). From 1779 unt ...

(d 1795) :46. Gg. Anton von Stahl (d 1870) :47. Johann Valentin Reissmann (d 1875) :48. Franz Josef von Stein (d 1909) :49. Adam Friedrich Gross von Trockau (d 1840) :50. Georg Karl von Fechenbach (d 1808) :51. Bishop Christoph Franz von Hutten (d 1729) :52. Mural of Saints Felix, Regula and Exuberantius :53. Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim (d 1779) :54. Peter von Aufsess (d 1522; bronze plate) :55. Johann von Guttenberg (d 1538; bronze plate) :56. Erasmus Neustetter known as Stürmer (d 1594; bronze plate) :57. Johann Konrad Kottwitz von Aulenbach (d 1610; bronze plate) :58. Bishop Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt (d 1558; bronze plate) :59. Bishop Friedrich von Wirsberg (d 1573; bronze plate) :60. Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (d 1617; bronze plate) :61. The Death of Mary (sculptural group) :62. Neithart von Thüngen, Bishop of Bamberg and Provost of Würzburg (d 1598; by Hans Juncker) :63. Apostles' Altar (three statues by Tilman Riemenschneider 1502/06) :64. Bishop Konrad II von Thüngen (d 1540; by

Loy Hering Loy Hering (b. 1484–85 in Kaufbeuren, d. 1 June 1564 in Eichstätt) was a German Renaissance sculptor. He began his career as an apprentice to Hans Beierlein in Augsburg. Between 1511 and 1512 he settled in Eichstätt, where in 1519 he was e ...

) :65. Moritz von Hutten (d 1552) :66. Dean's Altar (by Pietro Magno) :67. Georg Heinrich von Stadion (d 1716) :68. Bernhard von Solms (Lich) (d 1553) :69. Doorway to cloister :70. Heinrich Truchsess von Wetzhausen (d 1548) :71. Jakob Baur von Eiseneck (d 1621) :72. Paul Truchsess von Wetzhausen-Unsleben (d 1528) :73. Burial chapel :74. Jakob Fuchs von Wonfurt (d 1558) :75. Heinrich von

Seinsheim Seinsheim is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany. It is best known for its connection with the comital Seinsheim family, which died out in 1958 with the exception of the princely House of Schwarzenberg The House ...

(d 1360) :76. Ebbo (?) (10th century) :77. Master of the cathedral school (late Gothic) :78. Crucifixion Group (1763) :79. Friedrich von Brandenburg (d 1536) :80. Old cathedral school gate 1565 :81. Saint Kilian (1720, by Esterbauer) :82. Wall painting fragments of Christ and Mary, and of Mary and Saint John the Evangelist :83. Door to the cloister and two late Gothic coats of arms (Scherenberg and Grumbach) :84. Johann von Grumbach (d 1466) :85. Johann von Egloffstein (d 1411) :86. Johann Vitus von Würtzburg (d 1756; bronze plate) :87. Vitus Gottfried von Wernau (d 1649; bronze plate) :88. Sebastian Echter von Mespelbrunn (brother of bishop; d 1575) :89. Martin von der Kere (d 1507; bronze relief), and Konrad Friedrich von Thüngen (d 1629; bronze relief) :90. Pillar of Jachin, 11th century :91. Pillar of Booz, 11th century :92. Bronze

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

by Master Eckard of Worms, 1279 :93. Pietà (c. 1410) :94. Heraldic fragment of gravestone of Provost Daniel von Stibar (d 1555) :95. Gravestone of Johann Philipp Echter von Mespelbrunn (d 1665)note the inverted coat-of-arms to signify the last male member of a family :96. Fragment of gravestone of Lorenz Truchsess von Pommersfelden (d 1543) :97. Dean Franz Christ. von Rosenbach (d 1687; by Sebastian Betz) :98. Johann Philipp Ludwig Ignaz von Franckenstein (d 1780; by Franz Martin Mutschele) :99. Saint John the Evangelist (by Tilman Riemenschneider) :100. Coat-of-arms of the Elector Johann Philipp von Schönborn (d 1673) :101. Grave of

(copy of original tombstone)

Organs

The main organ was built in 1969 by the organ builders Klais. There is a second organ for the choir, and a third is planned for 2010.

Bells

The cathedral today has 20 bells, with a total combined weight of 26 tons. The largest is the ''Salvator Bell'' with a diameter of 2.3 m and weighing in at 10 tons. Of the old bells only the ''Lobdeburg Bell'', by Cunradus Citewar of Würzburg, the most prominent bellfounder of his time, dates from 1257. Because it was taken down in 1933 and stored in the crypt, it is the only ancient bell of the cathedral to have survived the

firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

caused by the bombing of 16 March 1945. It now hangs in the south-west tower and is rung every Friday at 3:00 p.m., to mark the hour of the death of Jesus Christ. All the other bells melted and the liquid metal ran down into the basement of the towers, where the stored cathedral treasure was destroyed.

Würzburg Synod

Between 1971 and 1975 the Würzburg Synod convened in the cathedral at the wish of Cardinal Döpfner, to determine the application of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

to Germany.

Images

Image:WurzburgDomNoPews.jpg, Cathedral interior Image:Merowingerkreuz.jpg, "Merovingian" cross in the crypt Image:Wuerzburg Cathedral N Transept Schoenborn Chapel f nw.jpg, North transept and Schönborn Chapel Image:Wuerzburg Cathedral Schoenborn Chapel f w.jpg, Schönborn Chapel Image:Rudolf von Scherenberg, Bishop of Wurzburg.jpg, Face of Bishop Rudolf II von Scherenberg, from the monumental effigy by Tilman Riemenschneider Image:LorenzvB.jpg, Tomb of Bishop Lorenz von Bibra by Tilman Riemenschneider Image:Sepulturkapelle im Würzburger Dom.JPG, Sepulture Image:Relics of Saints Kilian, Kolonat and Totnan - St. Kilian's Cathedral - Würzburg - Germany 2017 (3).jpg, Relic of St. Kilian, Colman and Todnan Image:Gottfried von Spitzenberg Grave.jpg, Gottfried von Spitzenberg grave, 1190

References

* Kuhn, Rudolf, 1968: ''Großer Führer durch Würzburgs Dom und Neumünster: mit Neumünster-Kreuzgang und Walthergrab'' * ''Der Dom zu Würzburg'' (English Edition) Schnell, Art Guide No 232 (of 1982); Second English edition 1991, Verlag Schnell & Steiner GMBH, Munich and Zurich

External links

Official Website

Music in Würzburg Cathedral

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wurzburg Cathedral Roman Catholic cathedrals in Bavaria

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

Romanesque architecture in Germany W