Würzburg Cathedral (German: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg. With an overall length of 105 metres it is the fourth largest Romanesque church building in Germany[], and a masterpiece of German architecture from the Salian period.
History
The present cathedral, built from 1040 onwards by Bishop Bruno
of Würzburg, reckoned to be the fourth largest Romanesque basilica
in Germany, is 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.
The side aisles were remodelled in about 1500 in the Late Gothic
style. Pietro Magno decorated the cathedral in Baroque stucco work
in 1701.
The greater part of the building collapsed in the winter of 1946
in consequence of the 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 Neo-Romanesque west front with a 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.
Works of
art
The cathedral contains numerous works of art, of which the
following are of especial note:
- baptismal font (1279), by Meister Eckart of Worms
- impressive series of tombs and epitaphs of bishops, including
the monumental effigies of the prince-bishops Rudolf II von
Scherenberg (1495) and Lorenz von Bibra (1519), both by Tilman
Riemenschneider
- seven-armed candelabra (1981) by Andreas Moritz
- Schönborn Chapel by Balthasar Neumann
- crypt with cycle of stained glass by Georg Meistermann
Layout of main level of
building
1. Trellice by Markus Gattinger (1750/52; outermost wings 1967) 2.
Gottfried of Spitzberg (d 1190) 3. Bishop Gottfried III von
Hohenlohe (d l322) 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 (d 1495; by
Tilman Riemenschneider) 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 I 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
(P. Magno 1704) 21. Provost Faust Franz Ludwig von Stromberg (d
1673; by Joh. Phil. Preiss) 22. Portal to the sacristy 23. Bishop
Gerhard von Schwarzburg (d 1400) 24. Lothar Franz von Schonborn (d
1729) 25. Altar of Mary Magdalene 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 l746) 30. Altar of the
Pietà 31. Archbishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn (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
II 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. , dean of the cathedral chapter
(d 1511; bronze plate) 43. Gg. von Giech (d 1501; bronze plate) 44.
Philipp Adolph von Ehrenberg (d l631; bronze plate) 45. Bishop
Franz Ludwig von Erthal (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
l729) 52. Mural of Saints Felix, Regula and Exuberantius 53. Bishop
Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim (d l779) 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 l558; bronze
plate) 59. Bishop Friedrich von Wirsberg (d 1573; bronze plate) 60.
Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (d l617; bronze plate) 61. The
Death of Mary - sculptural group 62. Bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg
Provost Neithart von Thüngen (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) 65. Moritz
von Hutten (d 1552) 66. Dean's Altar (P. 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 (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, 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 by Master Eckard of Worms, 1279
93. Pietà c. 1410 (procured in 1966) 94. Heraldic fragment of
gravestone of Provost Daniel von Stibar (d 1555) 95. Gravestone of
Johann Philipp Echter von Mespelbrunn (d 1665) 96. Fragment of
gravestone of Lorenz Truchsess von Pommersfelden (d l543) 97. Dean
Franz Christ. von Rosenbach (d l687; 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 Tilman Riemenschneider (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 "Lobdeburg Bell", by Cunradus Citewar of Würzburg,
the most prominent bellfounder of his time, dates from 1257, and,
because it was taken down in 1933 and stored in the crypt, is the
only ancient bell of the cathedral to have survived the firestorm
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.
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 to Germany.
Images
Notes
References
- Rudolf Kuhn, Großer Führer durch WŰRZBURGS DOM und
NEUMŰNSTER: mit Neumünster-Kreuzgang und Walthergrab,
1968.
- 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