Freiburg Minster

Freiburg Minster (German: Freiburger Münster or Münster Unserer Lieben Frau) is the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau, southwest Germany. The last duke of Zähringen had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly built on the foundations of an original church that had been there from the beginning of Freiburg, in 1120.

"Freiburg Cathedral" redirects here. For former collegiate church in Freiberg, Saxony, see Freiberg Cathedral.
Freiburg Münster
The Cathedral of Our Lady
Freiburger Münster
Freiburg Münster
47°59′44″N 7°51′11″E
LocationFreiburg im Breisgau
CountryGermany
DenominationRoman Catholic
WebsiteWebsite of the Cathedral
History
StatusActive
Founded1200
Founder(s)Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen
Architecture
Functional statusCathedral
Administration
ArchdioceseArchdiocese of Freiburg

In the Middle Ages, Freiburg lay in the Diocese of Konstanz. In 1827, Freiburg Minster became the seat of the newly erected Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg, and thus a cathedral.

Architecture
Waterspouts and other statuary of Freiburg Minster

The Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt once said that the church's 116-meter tower will forever remain the most beautiful spire on earth.[1] His remark gave rise to the frequently heard misquote of the most beautiful tower in the whole of Christianity.

The tower is nearly square at the base, and at its centre is the dodecagonal star gallery. Above this gallery, the tower is octagonal and tapered, and above this, is the spire.

It is the only Gothic church tower in Germany that was completed in the Middle Ages (1330), and has lasted until the present, surviving the bombing raids of November 1944, which destroyed all of the houses on the west and north side of the market. The tower was subject to severe vibration at the time, and its survival of these vibrations is attributed to its lead anchors, which connect the sections of the spire. The windows had been taken out of the spire at the time by church staff led by Monsignor Max Fauler, and so these also suffered no damage.[2]

Freiburg Minster was not the seat of a bishop until 1827, long after it was built.

The tower has 16 bells, the oldest being the "Hosanna" bell from 1258, which weighs 3,290 kilograms. This bell can be heard on Thursday evening after the Angelus, on Friday at 11:00 am (a time consequently known as "Spätzleglocke"), on Saturday evenings, and each year on 27 November in remembrance of the air raid.

Interior
Window of Freiburg Minster
Freiburg Miner, stained glass, circa 1330

There are two important altars inside the cathedral: the high altar of Hans Baldung, and another altar of Hans Holbein the Younger in a side chapel.

The inner portal contains sculptures of the Ten Virgins.[3]

The nave windows were donated by the guilds, and the symbols of the guilds are featured on them. The deep red color in some of the windows is not the result of a dye, but instead the result of a suspension of solid gold nanoparticles.[4]

In 2003, the Lenten cloth was restored and backed with a supporting material. It now weighs over a ton, and so must be carried from the workshop with heavy machinery for its use during Lent.

Bells

The cathedral holds 19 bells, altogether 25 tonnes, making it one of the largest peals in Germany.

Nr. name year cast caster's name cast at diameter measures chime
1Christus1959Friedrich Wilhelm SchillingHeidelberg2133 mm6856 kgg0
2Petrus1774 mm3917 kgbes0
3Paulus1566 mm2644 kgc1
4Maria1490 mm2290 kgd1
5Hosanna1258anonymous1610 mm3290 kges1
6Josef1959Friedrich Wilhelm SchillingHeidelberg1242 mm1354 kgf1
7Nikolaus1095 mm958 kgg1
8Johannes1081 mm913 kga1
9Jakobus1022 mm803 kgbes1
10Konrad903 mm560 kgc2
11Bernhard798 mm381 kgd2
12Lambert und Alexander670 mm212 kgf2
13Michael594 mm149 kgg2
14Schutzengel575 mm150 kga2
15Odilia505 mm112 kgc3
16Magnificat456 mm79 kgd3
17Vesperglöckchen1606Hans Ulrich BintzlinBreisach510 mm70 kgb2
18Silberglöckchen13th centuryanonymous352 mm33 kgf3
19Taufglocke13th/14th centuryanonymous550 mm95 kga2

Burials

From the time of its construction, the cathedral was not owned by the Roman Catholic Church but by the people of Freiburg. In the Middle Ages, the situation changed so that the building was self-owned, and administered by a guardian appointed by the people of the city. More recently, the Münsterbauverein association was created, which now legally owns the cathedral.

Conservation
Looking up into the spire of Freiburg Minster

For the conservation of the cathedral, the Freiburger Münsterbauverein ("Freiburg Minster-Upkeep Association") was established. The association invests several million euros each year in the care and maintenance of the building and its interior. The present architect in charge is Yvonne Faller and the chair of the association is Sven von Ungern-Sternberg.

  • High altar
    High altar
  • Martyrs' Window
    Martyrs' Window
  • Hahnen tower
    Hahnen tower
  • Exterior view
    Exterior view
  • Ram-like creature as gargoyle
    Ram-like creature as gargoyle
  • Gargoyles
    Gargoyles
  • High altar
    High altar
  • Entrance hall
    Entrance hall
  • Tympanum Freiburger Münster
    Tympanum Freiburger Münster

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freiburg Minster.

References
  1. Der schönste Turm auf Erden, Badische Zeitung, Seite 17, 10. März 2005
  2. "Freiburg Münster (Cathedral) – Our landmark". Freiburg Tourism. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  3. Erzbischöfliches Dompfarramt (nd). "Die Vorhallenwände". Münsterfabrikfonds (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  4. "BIOPRO Home". archive.is. 12 March 2007. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
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