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.

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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

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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.

Minden Cathedral

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