Minden Cathedral, Minden, Germany

Minden Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Gorgonius and Peter, is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Minden. From the year 803 AD, when the area was conquered by Charlemagne, it was the center of a diocese and subsequently became the center of a small sovereign state, a prince-bishopric of Minden, until the time of the Peace of Westphalia (1648), when Minden was secularized as the Principality of Minden (which lasted until 1806). Today the church belongs to the diocese of Paderborn.

Over the course of many centuries, the cathedral grew from a simple Carolingian church to a monumental basilica. The High Gothic nave and its large tracery windows inspired a number of other buildings. During World War II, the church was almost completely destroyed by an aerial bombing conducted by US Army Air Force on 28 March 1945. This almost completely destroyed the town center including the town hall and cathedral and resulted in the death of over 180 people.

The church was rebuilt in the 1950s by architect Werner March. The church contains a number of valuable art treasures. One of the most valuable art treasures is the Romanesque Minden Cross from the 11th century.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

phhpro (2 years ago)
lovely old cathedral, refreshingly little pompous with a crisp interior offering plenty of quite charm

Jeff Lloyd (3 years ago)
Beautiful amazing church

M K (3 years ago)
More than 1,000 years of history can be experienced here.

Andre Fedder (3 years ago)
A magnificent Romanesque building in the middle of Minden. Wonderful linear architecture, frescoes scattered here and there, framed with sandstone. Inside, the architecture is Gothic. One walks through the huge stone pillars with awe and marvels at the large stained glass windows. You enter the cathedral with quiet devotion. Apart from the architecture, the cathedral is worth a visit for inner contemplation.

Vesna S (4 years ago)
Beautiful

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Minden Cathedral

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle