PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Erfurt Cathedral
Erfurt Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary at Erfurt
Erfurter Dom; Hohe Domkirche St. Marien zu Erfurt; Propsteikirche Beatae Mariae Virginis;
	Erfurt Cathedral (left) and St Severus's Church (right)
	50°58′33″N 11°01′24″E / 50.9759°N 11.0233°E
Location	Erfurt, Thuringia
Country	Germany
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.dom-erfurt.de
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	St Mary
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Kulturdenkmal in Thuringia
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	12th century
Specifications
Height	81.26 m (266 ft 7 in)
Bells	14
Tenor bell weight	11.45 t (11.27 long tons)
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Erfurt
Clergy
Provost	Gregor Arndt
Vicar(s)	Bernhard Drapatz
Deacon(s)	Matthias Burkert
Laity
Organist(s)	Silvius von Kessel

Erfurt Cathedral (German: Erfurter Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Marien zu Erfurt,^[1] English: Cathedral Church of St Mary at Erfurt), also known as St Mary's Cathedral, is the largest and oldest church building in the Thuringian city of Erfurt, central Germany. It is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erfurt. The cathedral was mainly built in the International Gothic style and is located on a hillside overlooking the main town square (Domplatz, Cathedral Square),^[2] directly next to St Severus' Church. As a unique architectural ensemble, both churches together form the city's landmark. Former German names include Marienkirche and Propsteikirche Beatae Mariae Virginis.

History

The site of the present cathedral has been the location of many other Christian buildings, for example a Romanesque basilica and a church hall. In 742, Saint Boniface erected a church on the mound where Erfurt Cathedral is now sited. In the mid-12th century, the foundations of the original church were used for a Romanesque basilica. In the early 14th century, the mound was enlarged to make room for St Mary's Cathedral.^[3]

In 1184 it was the site of the Erfurt latrine disaster when a floor collapsed during an assembly summoned by Henry VI, King of Germany. About 60 people, including many nobles, drowned in the liquid excrement underneath.

Martin Luther was ordained in the cathedral on 3 April 1507.^[4]

Architecture

The architecture of Erfurt Cathedral is mainly Gothic and originates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The building has many notable architectural features, including the stained glass windows and the interior furnishings. The central spire of the cathedral's three towers houses the Maria Gloriosa which, at the time of its casting by Geert van Wou in 1497, was the world's largest free-swinging bell. It is the largest surviving medieval bell in the world. It is known for the purity of its tone.^{[citation needed]}

Relics and treasures

The cathedral houses many rare and rich furnishings and sculptures, including the tomb of the supposedly bigamous Count von Gleichen, accompanied by both of his wives, a stucco altar from around 1160, a bronze candelabra called Erfurter Wolfram, the oldest free standing cast work in Germany, and, out on the portal, statues of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.^[5]^: 50

The altar
The Foolish Virgins of the parable The Ten Virgins
Wolfram candelabra

Bells

No.	Name	Year	Caster	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg)	Strike tone (HT−¹/₁₆)	Bell location
1	Gloriosa	1497	Gerhardus de Wou, Erfurt	2,560	11,450	e⁰ +3	Middle Tower, lower
2	Dreifaltigkeit	1721	Nicolaus Jonas Sorber	1,940	4,900	g⁰ +12	North tower
3	Joseph	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda	1,840	4,600	a⁰ +8	South Tower
4	Andreas	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda	1,540	2,600	c¹ +11	North Tower
5	Christophorus	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda	1,360	1,900	d¹ +10	South Tower
6	Johannes Baptist	1720	Nicolaus Jonas Sorber	1,190	1,000	e¹ +7	South Tower
7	Cosmas und Damian	1625	Jakob König, Erfurt	750	200	des²	Middle Tower, upper
8	Cantabona	1492	Hans Sinderam	650	300	g²
9	Engelchen	about 1475	Claus von Mühlhausen, Erfurt	550	125	as²
10	Namenlose	1475	Meister Peter	500	75	b²
11	Wandlungsglocke	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda	550	100	f²	Dachreiter (Hochchor)
12	Paulusglocke	2009	Br. Michael Reuter, Maria Laach	390	42	d³	Dachreiter (Hochchor)
I	Martha	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda			e²	Lantern
II	Elisabeth	1961	Glockengießerei Schilling, Apolda			gis²	Lantern

References

^ Official website, retrieved 15 June 2018
^ Stade, Heinz, et al. (2015) Erfurt: eine Stadt in Wandel, Leipzig: Edition Leipzig
^ Christoph Engels, (2010) '1000 Sacred Places', Tandem Verlag GmbH, p 55
^ Lull, Timothy, Nelson, Derek (2015) Resilient Reformer: The life and thought of Martin Luther, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress
^ Schmidt, Martin (2019). CityTrip Erfurt, Weimar. OCLC 1158500991. Retrieved 15 February 2022.