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Regensburg Cathedral

 

 
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Regensburg Cathedral
 
 
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The Regensburg Cathedral , dedicated to St Peter, is the most important church and landmark of the city of RegensburgRegensburg

Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, south-east Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the nort...
, and cathedralCathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican...
 of the Catholic Diocese of RegensburgDiocese of Regensburg

The Diocese of Regensburg is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church seated in Regensburg....
. The church is the prime example of Gothic architectureGothic architecture Overview

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished...
 in southern GermanySouthern Germany

The term Southern Germany is used to describe a region in the south of Germany....
.

Dimensions

overall length (interior): 86 mMetre Overview

The metre, or meter , is a measure of length....
width (interior): 34.8 m
height: 32 m
height: 105 m

History

circa 700 First bishop's church built at the site of the present-day cathedral parish church Niedermünster (St. Erhard's tomb).
circa 739 Canonical erection of the diocese by Saint Boniface. He chose the area of the Porta Praetoria (North Gate of the old Roman fort) for the bishop's seat, and the site of the cathedral has remained there since.
late 8th or 9th century The Carolingian Cathedral is rebuilt.
early 11th century Large expansion to the west with an approx. 15-meter-high transept, two towers and an atrium.
1156/1172 The cathedral burns down twice and is rebuilt.
1273 Beginning of reconstruction at the west end after a city fire (approximately 1150) destroyed the old cathedral.
circa 1285/90 High Gothic redesign.
circa 1320 The three choirs of the new cathedral are ready for use. Demolition of the old cathedral.
1385-1415 Completion of the elaborate main entrance to the west.
1442 Construction of the roof support over the central nave.
circa 1520 Preliminary end of construction work.
1514-1538 Construction of the cloister.
1613-1649 Restoration of the cathedral and baroque renovation (cupola at the transept crossing).
1828-1841 Gothic restoration at the order of King Ludwig I (e.g., relocation of the baroque frescoes) and demolition of the cupola; it is replaced by a quadripartite rib vault.
1859-1869 Construction of the towers and completion of their spires.
1870/1872 Completion of the cathedral with the finishing of the transept gable and the spire (at the crossing) after 600 years of construction.
1923 Founding of the state-run Dombauhütte (Cathedral building workshop) for the ongoing oversight, maintenance, and restoration of the cathedral.
1984-1985 Construction of the crypt mausoleum and archeological exploration of the center nave (partial exposure of a former southern arcade entrance to the atrium of a precursor Roman structure)
1985-1988 Cleaning of the interior without changes.
since 1989 Cleaning of the exterior facade; removal of contaminants. The work on the main portal is expected to end in 2006.
2004 Construction and altar consecration of the Sailer meditation chapel.
2005 Cleaning of the tower spires is completed, so that the towers can be admired in their pristine state. According to the Dombauhütte, they should remain so for the next century.
2006 Completion of the west portal restoration before the planned visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

The building

An unusual feature of Regensburg Cathedral is its separation from the structure of the older cloisterCloister

A cloister is a part of cathedral, monastic and abbey architecture....
. This separation came about when the church was rebuilt and displaced to the southwest of the earlier Romanesque cathedral.

In testimony of that RomanesqueFacts About Romanesque architecture

The term Romanesque, like many other stylistic designations, was not a term contemporary with the art it describes but an in...
 precursor, the Eselsturm tower still stands on the north side of the cathedral; it was used in the past and is still used to transport construction materials to the upper levels. A pulley remains in the west loft, and with it materials were lifted through an opening in the ceiling near the west portal. To the east of the cathedral is the state-run Dombauhütte (cathedral building workshop) which is responsible for the preservation of the structure. In contrast with many cathedral building works, neither modern machines nor exclusively old tools are used. Rather, tools are manufactured in the workshop itself.

The Erminold Maria is one element of an Annunciation group in the Regensburg Cathedral. It goes back to the so-called Erminoldmeister, who carved and colorfully painted the figure of Mary and the famous laughing figure of the angel GabrielGabriel

In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel who is thought to serve as a messenger from God....
 about 1280. The figures are juxtaposed to one another on the two western pillars at the crossing of the nave. Mary's right hand is slightly raised toward the angel in greeting. In her left hand she holds a book, into which she is pointing with her index finger.

On the eastern pillars at the crossing are stone figures of Saints Peter and Paul, which were installed in 1320 and 1360-1370 respectively.

On the exterior there is a JudensauJudensau

Judensau is the derogatory and dehumanizing imagery of the Jews that appeared around the 13th century in Germany and som...
 (Jews' sow) in the form of a sow and three Jews hanging onto its teats. The Judensau faces in the direction of the former Jewish quarter at the Neupfarrplatz. In 2005 there was a controversy about the posting of an informational sign.

The All Saints' Chapel in the cathedral cloister was built in 1164 as a burial chapel for BishopBishop

A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority....
 Hartwig II by the Comaschi, a family of master builders from ComoComo

----Como is a city in Lombardy, Italy, 45 km north of Milan....
 in northern ItalyNorthern Italy

Northern Italy encompasses eight of the country's 20 regions....
. Its interior consists of a more finely articulated triconchos with frescoes from the time of its construction.

Most of the valuable stained glass windows were installed between 1220-1230 and 1320-1370. The windows of the west facade were only completed in the 19th century. In 1967-1968 came the windows of the left chancel, from the hand of the artist Professor Oberberger. He also produced the Pentecost window in the west of the north transept and the clerestoryClerestory

athedral architecture of the Western World]]...
 windows in Gothic style.

The silver high altar stems from Augsburg artists and was built in the period between 1695 and 1785. A particular feature is the five Gothic altars of reservation. In the south choir a new altar of celebration was built in 2004, the work of Helmut Langhammer.

St. Peter CanisiusPetrus Canisius

Saint Petrus Canisius was an important Jesuit who fought against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, a...
 preached from the stone pulpit in the central nave in 1556-1557.

Significance

The Regensburg Cathedral is the bishop's church and the principal church of the Regensburg diocese. It is also the home of the Regensburger DomspatzenRegensburger Domspatzen

The Regensburger Domspatzen is the official choir for the liturgical music at St....
 ("cathedral sparrows"), a choir rich in tradition. The structure is considered the most significant Gothic work in southern Germany.

The Cathedral is also the burial place of important bishops, including Johann Michael von Sailer, Georg Michael Wittmann, and Archbishop Michael Buchberger. In the western part of the central nave stands a bronze memorial for the Prince-Bishop Cardinal Philipp Wilhelm (d. 1598), the brother of Duke Maximilian I of BavariaMaximilian I, Elector of Bavaria

Maximilian I, Elector and Duke of Bavaria, called "the Great,", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of t...
.

Gallery

External links