Here’s the latest in an ongoing series of photographs from my 21-day, three country, five city winter vacation to Europe with my ladyfriend Serena, we stay in Berlin and take a good look at one of it’s main attractions, the Berlin Cathedral
In my previous two posts, we explored Germany’s capital city of Berlin and in this post, we take a good look at one of it’s main attractions, the Berlin Cathedral.
Berlin Cathedral
The magnificent dome of the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) is one of the main landmarks in Berlin’s cityscape – and marks the spot of the impressive basilica housing the city’s most important Protestant church. The cathedral has never been a cathedral in the actual sense of that term since it has never been the seat of a bishop, which makes it the largest Protestant church in Germany and 2nd largest worldwide.
The dome, which was not rebuilt to its original height following its destruction during the Second World War, still stands tall and proud above the surrounding buildings at 98 meters, and can be seen from various vantage points across the city.
The history of the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) goes back to the 15th century. The predecessor buildings were originally part of the Berlin City Palace. In the early nineteenth century, Prussia’s leading architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel transformed the court church into a neo-classical building.
But fifty years on, tastes had changed. By the time Wilhelm II came to throne as Emperor of Germany in 1888, he found the Schinkel church far too modest, and insisted on a new monumental church in keeping with the imperial monarchy’s power and prestige. Architect Julius Carl Raschdorff was commissioned for the new church. Raschdorff’s opulent, grandiose structure was intended to be Berlin’s answer to Saint Peter’s in Rome and Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.
The old building was demolished in 1893, and the foundation stone for the new church laid in 1894. Eleven years later in 1905, the new church was consecrated. The church was severely damaged during the Second World War. The full restoration was only completed in 1993, four years after the Berlin Wall fell.
The altar, which was designed by influential Prussian architect and builder Friedrich August Stüler, was made using white marble and onyx. The glass paintings on the three main windows represent the Nativity, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection and, like the oval windows situated above, are based on designs by German artist Anton von Werner.
Berlin Cathedral’s great ‘Sauer’ organ was designed and realized during the building’s construction, and is thus part of the original artistic fittings and fixtures. At its inauguration in 1905, the organ was considered to be the largest in Germany with 7269 pipes and 113 registers, which were spread across four manuals and pedals.
Today visitors can admire the works of art, descend into the crypt to see the final resting place of many famous Berlin residents or climb up the 270 steps to the viewing platform and enjoy stunning views over the rooftops (which, due to a long wait time, we did not do). Audio guides and guided tours are available for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the building. Tickets will set you back €10. It’s well worth it…
Enjoy the full gallery…
Stay tuned for upcoming posts featuring photo galleries from our European winter vacation.
Our next city will be Rome (and you don’t want to miss that!)
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