Speyer Cathedral
Encyclopedia
The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer) in Speyer
, Germany
, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer
and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg
. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis") and St. Stephen is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). Pope Pius XI
raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church
in 1925.
Begun in 1030 under Conrad II
, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica
of red sandstone
is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". As the burial site for Salian
, Staufer and Habsburg emperors and kings the cathedral is regarded as a symbol of imperial power. With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, it remains the largest Romanesque
church. It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture",
one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.
In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire
".
commissioned the construction of the Christian Western world's largest church which was also supposed to be his last resting place. Construction began 1030 on the site of a former basilica which stood on an elevated plateau right by the Rhine but safe from high water. Along with Santiago de Compostela
(begun 1075), Cluny Abbey
(Cluny III, begun 1085), and Durham Cathedral
(begun 1093), it was the most ambitious project of the time. The red sandstone
for the building came from the mountains of the Palatine Forest and is thought to have been shipped down the channelled Speyerbach, a stream running from the mountains into the Rhine at Speyer. Neither Conrad II, nor his son Henry III
, were to see the cathedral completed. Conrad II died in 1039 and was buried in the cathedral while it was still under construction; Henry III was laid next to him in 1056. The graves were placed in the central aisle in front of the altar.
Nearly completed, the cathedral was consecrated in 1061. This phase of construction, called Speyer I, consists of a Westwerk, a nave
with two aisles and an adjoining transept
. The choir
was flanked by two towers. The original apse
was round inside but rectangular on the outside. The nave was covered with a flat wooden ceiling but the aisles were vaulted, making the cathedral the second largest vaulted building north of the Alps (after Aachen Cathedral
). It is considered to be the most stunning outcome of early Salian architecture and the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries".
Around 1090, Conrad's grandson, Emperor Henry IV
, conducted an ambitious reconstruction in order to enlarge the cathedral. He had the eastern sections demolished and the foundations enforced to a depth of up to eight metres. Only the lower floors and the crypt of Speyer I remained intact. The nave was elevated by five metres and the flat wooden ceiling replaced with a groin vault
of square bays, one of the outstanding achievements of Romanesque architecture. Each vault extends over two bays of the elevation. Every second pier was enlarged by adding a broad pilaster or dosseret, which formed a system of interior buttressing. Engaged shafts had appeared around 1030 in buildings along the Loire (St. Benoit-sur-Loire, Auxerre, Loches) from where the technique spread to Normandy and the Rhineland.
The only other contemporary example of such a bay system is in the church of San Vincente, Cardona, Spain.
The "double-bay system" of Speyer functioning as a support for the stone vaults was copied in many monuments along the Rhine. The addition of groin vaults made the incorporation of clerestory windows possible without weakening the structure. "The result is an interior of monumental power, albeit stark and prismatic when compared with contemporary French buildings, but one which conveys an impression of Roman gravitas, an impression singularly appropriate for a ruler with the political pretensions of Henry IV."
In the course of these modifications the cathedral was equipped with an external dwarf gallery
, an arcaded gallery recessed into the thickness of the walls, and which is a natural development of the blind arcade
. Such blind arcades were used extensively as decorations, lining internal and external walls of many Romanesque churches. At the east end of Speyer Cathedral the dwarf gallery and the blind arcades were composed into "one of the most memorable pieces of Romanesque design". The dwarf gallery encircles the top of the apse, underlining its rounded form, and runs all around the structure below the roofline. This feature soon became a fundamental element in Romanesque churches; it was adopted at Worms and Mainz cathedrals and on the facades of many churches in Italy.(See detail in gallery below) "The cathedral re-emerged in a more sculptural style typical of the prime of the Romanesque period." "The transept, the square of the choir, the apse, the central tower and the flanking towers were combined in a manner and size surpassing anything done before. All surfaces and edges rise without stages. The major elements within the combination remain independent.... Speyer became a model for many other church buildings but was unsurpassed in its magnificence."
The expanded cathedral, Speyer II, was completed in 1106, the year of Henry's IV death. With a length of 444 Roman feet (134 metres) and a width of 111 Roman feet (43 metres) it was one of the largest buildings of its time.
The building became a political issue: the enlargement of the cathedral in the small village of Speyer with only around 500 inhabitants was a blunt provocation for the papacy. The emperor not only laid claim to secular but also to ecclesiastical power and with the magnificence and splendour of this cathedral he underlined this bold demand.
The purpose of the building, already a strong motive for Conrad, was the emperor's "claim to a representative imperial Roman architecture" in light of the continuing struggle with Pope Gregory VII
. Thus, the Speyer Cathedral is also seen as a symbol of the Investiture Controversy
. It was only five years after his death that Henry IV's excommunication
was revoked and his body was put to rest in his cathedral in 1111.
In the following centuries the cathedral remained relatively unchanged. In a drawing of 1610 a Gothic
chapel has been added to the northern aisle, and in a drawing of around 1650 there is another Gothic window in the northern side of the Westwerk. In a drawing of 1750 depicting the cathedral with the destroyed middle section the latter window is absent.
File:
The last ruler was put to rest in the cathedral in 1308, completing a list of eight emperors and kings and a number of their wives:
(Note: all eight of these rulers were Kings of Germany. However, in order to receive the title of Holy Roman Emperor, they had be crowned by the Pope. When relations between the Pope and German King were good, they were crowned "Imperator Romanum" or Holy Roman Emperor. When relations were strained, the Popes refused to crown the King as Emperor. So essentially these were all eight Holy Roman Emperors, but four of them were "uncrowned". )
In addition to these rulers the cathedral is the resting place of several of the ruler's wives and many of Speyer's bishops.
(1618–1648) with little damage.
During the Nine Years' War (Palatinate War of Succession 1688–97), the people of Speyer brought furniture and possessions into the cathedral, stacking everything several metres high hoping to save them from the French troops of Louis XIV
marauding the town. But on 31 May 1689 the soldiers broke in, pillaged the imperial graves and set everything alight. On that day almost the whole town of Speyer was burned down. In the heat of the fire the western part of the nave collapsed and the late Gothic elements were destroyed.
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In the great fire the Prince-Bishop
s of Speyer lost their residence and a plan was considered to build a new one in the style of a Baroque château
in place of the cathedral. Because of the hostility of the people of Speyer towards the bishop it was decided to build a palace in Bruchsal
.
For almost a century only the eastern part of the cathedral was secured and used for services. Under the direction of Franz Ignaz M. Neumann, the son of renown Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann, the building was restored from 1772 to 1748. The Romanesque nave was reconstructed, but the Westwerk rebuilt in the Baroque
style on its remaining lower section. The funds were not sufficient to rebuild the whole cathedral in the style of the time.
In 1792 Speyer was again occupied, this time by French revolutionary troops, and once more the cathedral was pillaged. During the Napoleonic Wars
(1803 to 1815) the cathedral was used as a stable and storage facility for fodder and other material. In 1806 the French had in mind to tear the building down and use it as a quarry, which was only prevented by the bishop of Mainz, Joseph Ludwig Colmar. After Napoleon's victories over the Prussian and Russian armies in the Battles of Grossgörschen and Lützen in 1813, around 4,000 wounded soldiers came to Speyer. After the battle of Leipzig there were even more and the cathedral was needed as an army hospital.
As a result of the Congress of Vienna
(1815), Speyer and the Palatinate passed to Bavaria
. At the behest of King Ludwig I of Bavaria
, Johann von Schraudolph and Joseph Schwarzmann decorated the interior walls of the cathedral with Nazarene style frescoes (1846–1853). 1854 to 1858, Ludwig's successor, King Maximilian II
, had the Baroque Westwerk replaced by a Neo-Romanesque one, with the two tall towers and the octagonal dome resembling those that were lost, thus restoring the cathedral's overall Romanesque appearance. The roofs were lowered and covered with copper. Only the Gothic sacristy kept its slate roof. Eduard Rottmanner
was organist at the church from 1839-1843.
In designing the façade of the Westwerk, Heinrich Hübsch, an architect of early Historicism
, created a Neo Romanesque design which drew on features of the original westwerk and those of several other Romanesque buildings, scaling the windows differently and introducing a gable on the facade, a row of statues over the main portal and polychrome stonework in sandstone yellow and rust. These restorations coincided with the development of Romanticism
and German nationalism, during which many buildings were restored in the Romanesque and Gothic
style of the Holy Roman Empire
. The Speyer cathedral was elevated to the level of a national monument.
The interior decorations and the new Westwerk were considered a major feat in the 19th century. Ludwig I was of the opinion that nothing greater had been created than these paintings. Yet, by the turn of the century the mood had changed. In 1916, Georg Dehio
, a German art historian, was convinced that among all the misfortunes to befall the Speyer cathedral, the alterations of the 19th century were not the smallest.
The graves of the emperors and kings were originally placed in the central aisle in front of the altar. In the course of the centuries knowledge of the exact location was lost. In a big excavation campaign in 1900 the graves were discovered and opened and the identity of the rulers was established. Some of the contents, e. g. clothing, can be seen at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate near the cathedral. The restored coffins were relocated into a newly constructed crypt open to the public under the main altar in 1906.
The restoration of the cathedral, beginning in 1957 "was directed towards both securing the structure and recreating the original atmosphere of the interior". Some of the plaster and 19th century paintings from the walls was removed. Only the cycle of 24 scenes from the life of the Virgin between the windows of the nave have been preserved.
Gables which had been removed from the transept and choir during the Baroque era were replaced using etchings and examples in related buildings. Changes in the crossing were also undone, but enforcements from the Baroque were left in place for structural reasons. Also, the Baroque style curved roof on the eastern dome remained.
in Hildesheim and set the standard that was to be generally adopted in the Rhineland
. This comprised a high vaulted nave with aisles, with a domed crossing towards at the east which terminated in an apsidal chancel. The horizontal orientation already points to the development of the Gothic architecture.
The western end terminates in an elaborate structure known as a "Westwerk" including the main portal, a feature typical of many Romanesque churches. Other German Romanesque churches, such as Worms Cathedral
have an apse at both ends. Externally, the silhouette of the building is balanced by two pairs of tall towers which frame the nave at the western end and the chancel to the east, and form a sculptural mass with the dome at each end, creating an "equilibrium between the eastern and western blocks".
The exterior appearance of the cathedral is unified by the regularity of the size of its openings. Speyer has the earliest example in Germany of a colonnade
d dwarf gallery
that goes around the entire building, just below the roofline. The same type of gallery also adorns the eastern and western domes. The openings in the gallery match the size of the paired windows in the towers. The domes are both octagonal, the roof of the eastern one being slightly ovoid. The towers are surmounted by "Rhenish helm" spires. The nave, towers and domes are all roofed with copper, which has weathered to pale green, in contrast to the pinkish red of the building stone, and the polychrome of the Westwerk.
Internally, the nave is of two open stages with simple semi-circular Romanesque openings. The arcade
has piers of a simple form, each with a wide attached shaft, the alternate shafts carrying a stone arch of the high vault. The square bays thus formed are groin vaulted and plastered. Although most of the plasterwork of the 19th century has been removed from wall surfaces, the wide expanse of masonry between the arcade and the clerestory
contains a series of colourful murals depicting the Life of the Virgin.
Presently the cathedral is undergoing fundamental restorations which will last approximately until 2015 and cost around 26 million Euros. Also, the frescoes by Schraudolph, which were removed in the 1950s are being restored and are to be displayed in the "Kaisersaal" of the cathedral.
World Heritage List of culturally important sites. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) justified the inclusion:
"The cathedral of Speyer, with those of Worms
and Mayence (Mainz
), is a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire. It is, by virtue of its proportions, the largest and the most important; by virtue of the history to which it is linked – the Salic emperors made it their place of burial."
ICOMOS also cites the building as important in demonstrating the evolution in attitudes towards restoration since the 17th century, both in Germany and the world.
The monumental crypt of Speyer Cathedral, consecrated in 1041, is the largest Romanesque columned hall crypt in Europe, with an area of 850 m² (1,017 sq yd) and a height of approx. 7 m. Forty-two groin-vaults are supported on twenty cylindrical columns with simple cushion capitals. The sandstone blocks alternate in colour between yellow and rust, a typical design of the Salian and Staufer era, and providing the context of the colour-scheme of the 19th century facade. The "architectural clarity is quite exceptional, a result of the precise execution of the base moldings and the cushion capitals, together with the emphatic system of transverse arches."(see detail below)
. In 1961 the chapel was restored to its original state as a double chapel. The two chapels on top of each other are connected through an opening in the centre. Today, Saint Emmeram is a baptistery.
On the northern side of the cathedral is the chapel of Saint Afra, named after an early Christian martyr. Henry IV had the chapel built in her honour because he was born on her commemoration day. Saint Afra's remains had been discovered in Augsburg around 1064. Henry IV was buried in the unconsecrated chapel from 1106 to 1111, when Pope Paschalis II revoked the ban, which had been in effect since 1088. During restoration works in 1971 a page of parchment was found in the chapel which is part of a Wulfila Bible written around 500. Today, the Saint Afra Chapel is a tabernacle
.
Initially there were five other chapels on the northern side of the cathedral: Saint Paul, Saint Agnes, Saint Bernhard, Saint Henry and Saint Mary. Saint Mary's chapel had been added on the northern side of the cathedral by Bishop Matthias von Rammung in 1475. Their ruins were already removed in the 18th century.
) and the five smaller ones in 1963 by Freidrich Wilhem Schilling (Heidelberg
). They are all contained in the "belfry", the western dome.
with a sculpture of The Mount of Olives in its centre. On the northern side was the palatial bishop's residence. Other buildings nearby, for example, were the chapter house, rectory, archives, St. Nikolaus Chapel, town fortifications etc. Most of the buildings disappeared after the French Revolution. The outline of the former cloister can be seen as pavement.
The sculpture of The Mount of Olives was destroyed in the great fire of 1689 and left in ruins after the rubble of the cloister was removed in 1820 in order to create some open space. Later it was fitted with a roof to prevent further deterioration. The sculptures were supplemented by the Speyer sculptor, Gottfried Renn. Inside the mount is a chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
In the square at the western end of the cathedral is a large bowl known as Domnapf It formerly marked the boundary between the episcopal and municipal territories. Each new bishop on his election had to fill the bowl with wine, while the burghers emptied it to his health.
findings in the cathedral area. It was erected in the Neo-Classical style and turned out to be too small for the intended purpose. Later some cannons captured in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71 were displayed. Today it is a memorial for the fallen of the two world wars.
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer
Bishop of Speyer
The Bishop of Speyer is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, which is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Bamberg.The diocese covers an area of 5,893 km².The current bishop is Karl-Heinz Wiesemann.-List of bishops:-References:...
and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg
Archdiocese of Bamberg
The Archdiocese of Bamberg is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria and is one of 27 Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. About a third of the population is Catholic. With 15.6% this diocese has one of higher numbers of worshippers on Sunday in Germany...
. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis") and St. Stephen is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1925.
Begun in 1030 under Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". As the burial site for Salian
Salian dynasty
The Salian dynasty was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages of four German Kings , also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and role as dukes of Franconia...
, Staufer and Habsburg emperors and kings the cathedral is regarded as a symbol of imperial power. With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, it remains the largest Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church. It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture",
one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.
In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
".
Middle ages
In 1024, Conrad IIConrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
commissioned the construction of the Christian Western world's largest church which was also supposed to be his last resting place. Construction began 1030 on the site of a former basilica which stood on an elevated plateau right by the Rhine but safe from high water. Along with Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
(begun 1075), Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
(Cluny III, begun 1085), and Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
(begun 1093), it was the most ambitious project of the time. The red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
for the building came from the mountains of the Palatine Forest and is thought to have been shipped down the channelled Speyerbach, a stream running from the mountains into the Rhine at Speyer. Neither Conrad II, nor his son Henry III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, were to see the cathedral completed. Conrad II died in 1039 and was buried in the cathedral while it was still under construction; Henry III was laid next to him in 1056. The graves were placed in the central aisle in front of the altar.
Nearly completed, the cathedral was consecrated in 1061. This phase of construction, called Speyer I, consists of a Westwerk, a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with two aisles and an adjoining transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. The choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
was flanked by two towers. The original apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
was round inside but rectangular on the outside. The nave was covered with a flat wooden ceiling but the aisles were vaulted, making the cathedral the second largest vaulted building north of the Alps (after Aachen Cathedral
Aachen Cathedral
Aachen Cathedral, frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" , is a Roman Catholic church in Aachen, Germany. The church is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe and was known as the "Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen" during the Middle Ages...
). It is considered to be the most stunning outcome of early Salian architecture and the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries".
Around 1090, Conrad's grandson, Emperor Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
, conducted an ambitious reconstruction in order to enlarge the cathedral. He had the eastern sections demolished and the foundations enforced to a depth of up to eight metres. Only the lower floors and the crypt of Speyer I remained intact. The nave was elevated by five metres and the flat wooden ceiling replaced with a groin vault
Groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
of square bays, one of the outstanding achievements of Romanesque architecture. Each vault extends over two bays of the elevation. Every second pier was enlarged by adding a broad pilaster or dosseret, which formed a system of interior buttressing. Engaged shafts had appeared around 1030 in buildings along the Loire (St. Benoit-sur-Loire, Auxerre, Loches) from where the technique spread to Normandy and the Rhineland.
The only other contemporary example of such a bay system is in the church of San Vincente, Cardona, Spain.
The "double-bay system" of Speyer functioning as a support for the stone vaults was copied in many monuments along the Rhine. The addition of groin vaults made the incorporation of clerestory windows possible without weakening the structure. "The result is an interior of monumental power, albeit stark and prismatic when compared with contemporary French buildings, but one which conveys an impression of Roman gravitas, an impression singularly appropriate for a ruler with the political pretensions of Henry IV."
In the course of these modifications the cathedral was equipped with an external dwarf gallery
Dwarf gallery
A dwarf gallery is an architectural ornament in Romanesque architecture.It is a natural development of the blind arcade and consists of an arcaded gallery, usually just below the roof, recessed into the thickness of the walls...
, an arcaded gallery recessed into the thickness of the walls, and which is a natural development of the blind arcade
Blind arcade
A blind arcade is an arcade that is composed of a series of arches that has no actual openings and that is applied to the surface of a wall as a decorative element: i.e. the arches are not windows or openings but are part of the masonry face. It is designed as an ornamental architectural element,...
. Such blind arcades were used extensively as decorations, lining internal and external walls of many Romanesque churches. At the east end of Speyer Cathedral the dwarf gallery and the blind arcades were composed into "one of the most memorable pieces of Romanesque design". The dwarf gallery encircles the top of the apse, underlining its rounded form, and runs all around the structure below the roofline. This feature soon became a fundamental element in Romanesque churches; it was adopted at Worms and Mainz cathedrals and on the facades of many churches in Italy.(See detail in gallery below) "The cathedral re-emerged in a more sculptural style typical of the prime of the Romanesque period." "The transept, the square of the choir, the apse, the central tower and the flanking towers were combined in a manner and size surpassing anything done before. All surfaces and edges rise without stages. The major elements within the combination remain independent.... Speyer became a model for many other church buildings but was unsurpassed in its magnificence."
The expanded cathedral, Speyer II, was completed in 1106, the year of Henry's IV death. With a length of 444 Roman feet (134 metres) and a width of 111 Roman feet (43 metres) it was one of the largest buildings of its time.
The building became a political issue: the enlargement of the cathedral in the small village of Speyer with only around 500 inhabitants was a blunt provocation for the papacy. The emperor not only laid claim to secular but also to ecclesiastical power and with the magnificence and splendour of this cathedral he underlined this bold demand.
The purpose of the building, already a strong motive for Conrad, was the emperor's "claim to a representative imperial Roman architecture" in light of the continuing struggle with Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
. Thus, the Speyer Cathedral is also seen as a symbol of the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
. It was only five years after his death that Henry IV's excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
was revoked and his body was put to rest in his cathedral in 1111.
In the following centuries the cathedral remained relatively unchanged. In a drawing of 1610 a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
chapel has been added to the northern aisle, and in a drawing of around 1650 there is another Gothic window in the northern side of the Westwerk. In a drawing of 1750 depicting the cathedral with the destroyed middle section the latter window is absent.
File:
The last ruler was put to rest in the cathedral in 1308, completing a list of eight emperors and kings and a number of their wives:
- Conrad IIConrad II, Holy Roman EmperorConrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
(died 1039) and his wife GiselaGisela of SwabiaGisela of Swabia was the daughter of Herman II of Swabia and Gerberga of Burgundy. Both her parents were descendents of Charlemagne.-Life:...
(† 1043) - Henry IIIHenry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
(died 1056), son of Conrad II. - Henry IVHenry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
(died 1106), son of Henry III, and his wife BerthaBertha of SavoyBertha of Savoy , also called Bertha of Turin, was the first wife of Emperor Henry IV, and was German Queen and Holy Roman Empress. She is buried in the cathedral of Speyer.-Life:...
(died 1087) - Henry VHenry V, Holy Roman EmperorHenry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
(died 1125), son of Henry IV. - Beatrice IBeatrice I, Countess of BurgundyBeatrice of Burgundy was the only daughter of Renaud III, Count of Burgundy and Agatha of Lorraine. She was the second wife and Empress of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. Her maternal grandparents were Simon I, Duke of Lorraine and his wife Adelaide of Leuven. Beatrice was active at the...
(died 1184), second wife of Frederick BarbarossaFrederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
and their daughter Agnes - King Philipp of Swabia († 1208), son of Frederick Barbarossa
- King Rudolph of HabsburgRudolph I of GermanyRudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
(died 1291) - King Adolph of NassauAdolf of Nassau-WeilburgAdolf was the King of Germany from 1292 until 1298. Though his title in his lifetime was Rex Romanorum , he is usually known as Adolf of Nassau...
(died 1298) - King Albert I of GermanyAlbert I of GermanyAlbert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
(died 1308), son of Rudolph of Habsburg
(Note: all eight of these rulers were Kings of Germany. However, in order to receive the title of Holy Roman Emperor, they had be crowned by the Pope. When relations between the Pope and German King were good, they were crowned "Imperator Romanum" or Holy Roman Emperor. When relations were strained, the Popes refused to crown the King as Emperor. So essentially these were all eight Holy Roman Emperors, but four of them were "uncrowned". )
In addition to these rulers the cathedral is the resting place of several of the ruler's wives and many of Speyer's bishops.
Modern era
Although repeatedly occupied and ransacked, town and cathedral survived the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
(1618–1648) with little damage.
During the Nine Years' War (Palatinate War of Succession 1688–97), the people of Speyer brought furniture and possessions into the cathedral, stacking everything several metres high hoping to save them from the French troops of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
marauding the town. But on 31 May 1689 the soldiers broke in, pillaged the imperial graves and set everything alight. On that day almost the whole town of Speyer was burned down. In the heat of the fire the western part of the nave collapsed and the late Gothic elements were destroyed.
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
s of Speyer lost their residence and a plan was considered to build a new one in the style of a Baroque château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
in place of the cathedral. Because of the hostility of the people of Speyer towards the bishop it was decided to build a palace in Bruchsal
Bruchsal
Bruchsal is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
.
For almost a century only the eastern part of the cathedral was secured and used for services. Under the direction of Franz Ignaz M. Neumann, the son of renown Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann, the building was restored from 1772 to 1748. The Romanesque nave was reconstructed, but the Westwerk rebuilt in the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style on its remaining lower section. The funds were not sufficient to rebuild the whole cathedral in the style of the time.
In 1792 Speyer was again occupied, this time by French revolutionary troops, and once more the cathedral was pillaged. During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
(1803 to 1815) the cathedral was used as a stable and storage facility for fodder and other material. In 1806 the French had in mind to tear the building down and use it as a quarry, which was only prevented by the bishop of Mainz, Joseph Ludwig Colmar. After Napoleon's victories over the Prussian and Russian armies in the Battles of Grossgörschen and Lützen in 1813, around 4,000 wounded soldiers came to Speyer. After the battle of Leipzig there were even more and the cathedral was needed as an army hospital.
As a result of the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
(1815), Speyer and the Palatinate passed to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. At the behest of King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
, Johann von Schraudolph and Joseph Schwarzmann decorated the interior walls of the cathedral with Nazarene style frescoes (1846–1853). 1854 to 1858, Ludwig's successor, King Maximilian II
Maximilian II of Bavaria
Maximilian II of Bavaria was king of Bavaria from 1848 until 1864. He was son of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.-Crown Prince:...
, had the Baroque Westwerk replaced by a Neo-Romanesque one, with the two tall towers and the octagonal dome resembling those that were lost, thus restoring the cathedral's overall Romanesque appearance. The roofs were lowered and covered with copper. Only the Gothic sacristy kept its slate roof. Eduard Rottmanner
Eduard Rottmanner
Eduard Rottmanner was a German composer and organist. He is the cousin of German poet, philosopher, and politician Karl Rottmanner and great nephew of lawyer Simon Rottmanner. He studied the organ and music composition with Joseph Graetz and Kaspar Ett...
was organist at the church from 1839-1843.
In designing the façade of the Westwerk, Heinrich Hübsch, an architect of early Historicism
Historicism (art)
Historicism refers to artistic styles that draw their inspiration from copying historic styles or artisans. After neo-classicism, which could itself be considered a historicist movement, the 19th century saw a new historicist phase marked by a return to a more ancient classicism, in particular in...
, created a Neo Romanesque design which drew on features of the original westwerk and those of several other Romanesque buildings, scaling the windows differently and introducing a gable on the facade, a row of statues over the main portal and polychrome stonework in sandstone yellow and rust. These restorations coincided with the development of Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
and German nationalism, during which many buildings were restored in the Romanesque and Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. The Speyer cathedral was elevated to the level of a national monument.
The interior decorations and the new Westwerk were considered a major feat in the 19th century. Ludwig I was of the opinion that nothing greater had been created than these paintings. Yet, by the turn of the century the mood had changed. In 1916, Georg Dehio
Georg Dehio
Georg Gottfried Julius Dehio , was a Baltic German art historian ....
, a German art historian, was convinced that among all the misfortunes to befall the Speyer cathedral, the alterations of the 19th century were not the smallest.
The graves of the emperors and kings were originally placed in the central aisle in front of the altar. In the course of the centuries knowledge of the exact location was lost. In a big excavation campaign in 1900 the graves were discovered and opened and the identity of the rulers was established. Some of the contents, e. g. clothing, can be seen at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate near the cathedral. The restored coffins were relocated into a newly constructed crypt open to the public under the main altar in 1906.
The restoration of the cathedral, beginning in 1957 "was directed towards both securing the structure and recreating the original atmosphere of the interior". Some of the plaster and 19th century paintings from the walls was removed. Only the cycle of 24 scenes from the life of the Virgin between the windows of the nave have been preserved.
Gables which had been removed from the transept and choir during the Baroque era were replaced using etchings and examples in related buildings. Changes in the crossing were also undone, but enforcements from the Baroque were left in place for structural reasons. Also, the Baroque style curved roof on the eastern dome remained.
Present condition
Speyer Cathedral has maintained the overall form and dimensions of the 11th century structure and, despite substantial losses to the original fabric and successive restorations, presents a complete and unified Romanesque building. The design broadly follows the plan that was established at St. Michael's ChurchSt. Michael's Church, Hildesheim
The Church of St. Michael in Hildesheim, Germany, is an early-Romanesque church. It has been on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985.-History:...
in Hildesheim and set the standard that was to be generally adopted in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. This comprised a high vaulted nave with aisles, with a domed crossing towards at the east which terminated in an apsidal chancel. The horizontal orientation already points to the development of the Gothic architecture.
The western end terminates in an elaborate structure known as a "Westwerk" including the main portal, a feature typical of many Romanesque churches. Other German Romanesque churches, such as Worms Cathedral
Worms Cathedral
Cathedral of St Peter is a church in Worms, southern Germany. It was the seat of the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Worms until its extinction in 1800.It is a basilica with four round towers, two large domes, and a choir at each end...
have an apse at both ends. Externally, the silhouette of the building is balanced by two pairs of tall towers which frame the nave at the western end and the chancel to the east, and form a sculptural mass with the dome at each end, creating an "equilibrium between the eastern and western blocks".
The exterior appearance of the cathedral is unified by the regularity of the size of its openings. Speyer has the earliest example in Germany of a colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
d dwarf gallery
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
that goes around the entire building, just below the roofline. The same type of gallery also adorns the eastern and western domes. The openings in the gallery match the size of the paired windows in the towers. The domes are both octagonal, the roof of the eastern one being slightly ovoid. The towers are surmounted by "Rhenish helm" spires. The nave, towers and domes are all roofed with copper, which has weathered to pale green, in contrast to the pinkish red of the building stone, and the polychrome of the Westwerk.
Internally, the nave is of two open stages with simple semi-circular Romanesque openings. The arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
has piers of a simple form, each with a wide attached shaft, the alternate shafts carrying a stone arch of the high vault. The square bays thus formed are groin vaulted and plastered. Although most of the plasterwork of the 19th century has been removed from wall surfaces, the wide expanse of masonry between the arcade and the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
contains a series of colourful murals depicting the Life of the Virgin.
Presently the cathedral is undergoing fundamental restorations which will last approximately until 2015 and cost around 26 million Euros. Also, the frescoes by Schraudolph, which were removed in the 1950s are being restored and are to be displayed in the "Kaisersaal" of the cathedral.
World Heritage Site
In April 1981, Speyer Cathedral was added to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List of culturally important sites. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) justified the inclusion:
"The cathedral of Speyer, with those of Worms
Worms Cathedral
Cathedral of St Peter is a church in Worms, southern Germany. It was the seat of the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Worms until its extinction in 1800.It is a basilica with four round towers, two large domes, and a choir at each end...
and Mayence (Mainz
Mainz Cathedral
Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany...
), is a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire. It is, by virtue of its proportions, the largest and the most important; by virtue of the history to which it is linked – the Salic emperors made it their place of burial."
ICOMOS also cites the building as important in demonstrating the evolution in attitudes towards restoration since the 17th century, both in Germany and the world.
Dimensions
- Total length: 134 m (from the steps at the entrance to the exterior wall of the east apse)
- External width of the nave (with aisles): 37.62 m (from exterior wall to exterior wall)
- Internal width of the nave: 14 m
- Height of the nave at the vertex of the vaults: 33 m
- Height of the eastern spires: 71.20 m
- Height of the western spires: 65.60 m
- Crypt Length: east-west 35 m; north-south 46 m Height: between 6.2 m and 6.5 m
Crypt
Over the centuries, crypts developed from tiny chambers into large semi-subterranean and very articulated hall crypts, which became standard forms in Italy and Germany, sometimes extending under the transepts as well as the chancel.The monumental crypt of Speyer Cathedral, consecrated in 1041, is the largest Romanesque columned hall crypt in Europe, with an area of 850 m² (1,017 sq yd) and a height of approx. 7 m. Forty-two groin-vaults are supported on twenty cylindrical columns with simple cushion capitals. The sandstone blocks alternate in colour between yellow and rust, a typical design of the Salian and Staufer era, and providing the context of the colour-scheme of the 19th century facade. The "architectural clarity is quite exceptional, a result of the precise execution of the base moldings and the cushion capitals, together with the emphatic system of transverse arches."(see detail below)
Chapels
On the southern side of the cathedral is the double chapel (Doppelkapelle) of Saint Emmeram (Saint Martin) and Saint Catherine. The concept of the double chapel was well established by the end of the 11th century, dating back to the time of Charlemagne and commonly used in imperial and Episcopal chapels. Construction of the one in Speyer already started around 1050. Saint Catherine's chapel was built on occasion of the birthday of Herny III's daughter on 25 November, named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria, one of the Fourteen Holy HelpersFourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against various diseases...
. In 1961 the chapel was restored to its original state as a double chapel. The two chapels on top of each other are connected through an opening in the centre. Today, Saint Emmeram is a baptistery.
On the northern side of the cathedral is the chapel of Saint Afra, named after an early Christian martyr. Henry IV had the chapel built in her honour because he was born on her commemoration day. Saint Afra's remains had been discovered in Augsburg around 1064. Henry IV was buried in the unconsecrated chapel from 1106 to 1111, when Pope Paschalis II revoked the ban, which had been in effect since 1088. During restoration works in 1971 a page of parchment was found in the chapel which is part of a Wulfila Bible written around 500. Today, the Saint Afra Chapel is a tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
.
Initially there were five other chapels on the northern side of the cathedral: Saint Paul, Saint Agnes, Saint Bernhard, Saint Henry and Saint Mary. Saint Mary's chapel had been added on the northern side of the cathedral by Bishop Matthias von Rammung in 1475. Their ruins were already removed in the 18th century.
Chime
The chime of the cathedral is composed of nine bells of which the larger four were cast in 1822 by Peter Lindemann (ZweibrückenZweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
) and the five smaller ones in 1963 by Freidrich Wilhem Schilling (Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
). They are all contained in the "belfry", the western dome.
| No. | Name | Nominal | Weight (kg) |
Diameter (cm) |
| 1 | Maximilianus Josephus (Emperor Bell) | G0 | 5350 | 208 |
| 2 | Friderica Wilhelmina Carolina | B♭0 | 2600 | 175 |
| 3 | Ludovicus Carolus | D♭1 | 1650 | 147 |
| 4 | Matthaeus de Chandelle | F1 | 600 | 115 |
| 5 | Saint Mary's Bell | A♭1 | 601 | 95.5 |
| 6 | Saint Joseph's Bell | B♭1 | 494 | 90.3 |
| 7 | Saint Anne's Bell | D♭2 | 440 | 83.3 |
| 8 | Saint Pirmin's Bell | E♭2 | 312 | 75 |
| 9 | Otto | F2 | 217 | 66.7 |
Dimensions
- Total length: 134 m (from the steps at the entrance to the exterior wall of the east apse)
- External width of the nave (with aisles): 37.62 m (from exterior wall to exterior wall)
- Internal width of the nave: 14 m
- Height of the nave at the vertex of the vaults: 33 m
- Height of the eastern spires: 71.20 m
- Height of the western spires: 65.60 m
- Crypt Length: east-west 35 m; north-south 46 m Height: between 6.2 m and 6.5 m
Surroundings
Originally, the cathedral was surrounded by numerous buildings. To the south it was adjoined by a cloisterCloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
with a sculpture of The Mount of Olives in its centre. On the northern side was the palatial bishop's residence. Other buildings nearby, for example, were the chapter house, rectory, archives, St. Nikolaus Chapel, town fortifications etc. Most of the buildings disappeared after the French Revolution. The outline of the former cloister can be seen as pavement.
The sculpture of The Mount of Olives was destroyed in the great fire of 1689 and left in ruins after the rubble of the cloister was removed in 1820 in order to create some open space. Later it was fitted with a roof to prevent further deterioration. The sculptures were supplemented by the Speyer sculptor, Gottfried Renn. Inside the mount is a chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
In the square at the western end of the cathedral is a large bowl known as Domnapf It formerly marked the boundary between the episcopal and municipal territories. Each new bishop on his election had to fill the bowl with wine, while the burghers emptied it to his health.
Heidentürmchen (Heath Tower)
The Heidentürmchen is a remainder of the medieval town fortifications, a tower and a section of the wall, situated a little to the east of the cathedral. It once stood right by the Rhine, at the very edge of the plateau, adjoined by some marshy area which used to be called "heath".Hall of Antiques (Antikenhalle)
The Hall was built to the north of the cathedral to house the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
findings in the cathedral area. It was erected in the Neo-Classical style and turned out to be too small for the intended purpose. Later some cannons captured in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71 were displayed. Today it is a memorial for the fallen of the two world wars.
External links
- Rhineland-Palatinate website for Speyer Cathedral (German)
- Dombauverein Speyer - Cathedral Building Association site
- Speyer.de - description and tourism information
- Official site - full of pictures and information
- Thieme/Sommer/Wolfe: "Das grosse Buch der Stile", Band 5, "Die Romanik", Reinhard Welz, Vermittler Verlag e.K. Mannheim, 2005, ISBN 3-938622-53-9, Scan of the chapter on early christianity in Speyer
- Speyer, cathedral, chapter library