History of the Cheb Castle began in early 12th century, when in the place of the former Slavonic settlement the second oldest castle in our territory was built. Its following destiny is narrowly connected with the mighty imperial dynasty of the Hohenstaufs. The famous Fredrik I Barbarossa later majestically extended the castle and changed it into a sumptuous pfalz (palatinate). The torso of once majestic palace, the massive defensive Black Tower and above all the unique Romanesque Gothic St. Martin, Erhard and Ursula Chapel have preserved till these days.
The castle experienced hard and unstable times, many wars and conquests, too. The castle went through its last development stage at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries when it was partially reconstructed into a Baroque citadel.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.