Frankfurt Cathedral: history and tourist information

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Frankfurt Cathedral is located in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and is the largest temple in the city. In ancient times, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned here, and in the 1900s it became a symbol of the unity of the German nation. But the cathedral has never been a cathedral. This object is more important politically and historically than spiritually or otherwise.

Construction history

The temple was built in the 13th century, but this is the look of the architectural structure that has survived to this day. It is known that there was another Frankfurt Cathedral (794 years of construction), which was erected by order of King Charlemagne. Even earlier, from 83 to 260 (during the period of the Roman Empire), a chapel stood on this site. Then the predecessors of the modern temple gradually appeared.

Merovingian Palace Chapel – 6th century.
Carolingian Palace Chapel - existed in the 8th-9th centuries.
Basilica of the Savior - 9th to 13th century.

Frankfurt Cathedral, built in the 1400s, for a long time served as the coronation site of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, so it was constantly improved, completed, changed, making it even more beautiful and more convenient for the implementation of the main goal.

The original version of the building was not destined to live its fifth century. Worldly affairs and wars arising with amazing regularity caused the cathedral to burn to the ground. It happened in 1867, however, the reconstruction began very quickly, and soon the temple again flaunted in its original place. But even this object did not manage to survive for a long time - the Second World War began, during which the building was again damaged. And again, the reconstruction was carried out in a short time, restoring the Gothic masterpiece as quickly as possible.

Frankfurt Cathedral is visible from afar thanks to the red tower. Like the rest of the details, it is made in the Gothic style. The tower is crowned with a spire, the height of which is 100 m. The inner walls of the temple are decorated with a frieze and a fresco, created by the golden hands of the masters. There are real works of art here, because the cathedral is recognized as the main one in the city and is a vivid representative of the Gothic style. For example, in one of the halls, visitors can see the sculpture "The Crucifixion of Christ" by Hans Backhoffen, which he created in 1509. And in another room, the painting "Lamentation of Christ" by Van Dyck.

Also inside there is a staircase with more than three hundred steps. She takes guests to the observation deckplatform with a beautiful view of the city and the river. In old Frankfurt, with its unique architecture, reminiscent of the Middle Ages, the future of the modern metropolis is clearly visible.

A relic kept in the cathedral

Apostle Bartholomew since 1239 is considered the patron saint of the temple. Therefore, the main relic kept within the walls of the cathedral is the upper part of his skull.

It is interesting that at the beginning of the 20th century, the grave of a girl of noble birth, presumably buried in the 700s, was discovered on the territory. In memory of her, a gravestone was placed over the burial.

Useful information for tourists

Exact address: Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main, Fahrgasse, 7. The cathedral works according to the following schedule:

from 8 am to 12 pm and from 13:15 to 20:00 from Monday to Thursday;
Friday from 13:15 to 20:00;
from 8 am to 12 noon and from 13:15 to 20:00 on Saturday;
from 13:00 to 20:00 - on Sunday.

Frankfurt Cathedral reviews

Tourists who visited the temple really liked both the exterior and the interior of the building. Inside, it is well-groomed and beautiful, and a wonderful view of the city opens from the observation deck. The only negative is to climb high, and then go down the same way (along a narrow ladder). But otherwise it would not be possible to observe the cityscape, so sometimes you can walk around for the sake of contemplating the beautiful.