Merseburg Cathedral Dom
Above Merseburg, on the high west bank of the Saale, are the Cathedral and the Schloss.
The palace church of Henry I (consecrated 931) was raised to cathedral status when the bishopric (office of a bishop) of Merseburg was established 968. The present building, originally Romanesque, was begun in 1015 and much altered in later centuries. A hall-church with four towers, it has a sumptuously furnished interior.
The palace church of Henry I (consecrated 931) was raised to cathedral status when the bishopric (office of a bishop) of Merseburg was established 968. The present building, originally Romanesque, was begun in 1015 and much altered in later centuries. A hall-church with four towers, it has a sumptuously furnished interior.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
Merseburg Cathedral
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In the west porch is a Late Gothic doorway with sculptured figures (including a bust of the Emperor Henry II with a model of the Cathedral). Notable features of the interior are the Baroque high altar (1668), the richly decorated Late Gothic pulpit and choir-stalls, a Romanesque font (c. 1150) and numerous monuments (11th-18th C.). Of particular quality are the bronze grave-slab of Rudolf of Swabia (d. 1180) and the sarcophagus of Bishop Thilo of Trotha (by Hermann Vischer the Elder).
On the south side of the Cathedral lies the cloister, with an Early Gothic west wing and the Romanesque chapel of St John.
On the south side of the Cathedral lies the cloister, with an Early Gothic west wing and the Romanesque chapel of St John.
Related Attractions
Cathedral Archives
The Cathedral Archives in Merseburg have a large collection of medieval manuscripts, including the famous Merseburg Spells (10th C.), one of the earliest documents in the German language, and a richly illuminated manuscript of the Vulgate (c. 1200).
