Erfurt Cathedral

The site of the present cathedral has been the location of many other Christian buildings, for example a Romanesque basilica and a church hall. In 742, Saint Boniface erected a church on the mound where Erfurt Cathedral is now sited. In the mid-12th century, the foundations of the original church were used for a Romanesque basilica. In the early 14th century, the mound was enlarged to make room for St Mary's Cathedral.[3]

Martin Luther was ordained in the cathedral on 3 April 1507.[4]

The architecture of Erfurt Cathedral is mainly Gothic and originates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The building has many notable architectural features, including the stained glass windows and the interior furnishings. The central spire of the cathedral's three towers houses the Maria Gloriosa which, at the time of its casting by Geert van Wou in 1497, was the world's largest free-swinging bell. It is the largest surviving medieval bell in the world. It is known for the purity of its tone.

The cathedral houses many rare and rich furnishings and sculptures, including the tomb of the bigamous Count von Gleichen, accompanied by both of his wives, a stucco altar, a bronze candelabra of Romanesque antiquity called Wolfram, the oldest free standing cast work in Germany, and, out on the porch, several statues of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.

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  The altar
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  The Wise and Foolish Virgins
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  Wolfram candelabra

• St. Augustine's Monastery (Erfurt)
• Architecture of cathedrals and great churches

• Media related to Erfurt Cathedral at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in German)