Kreuzkirche, Archaeological church site in Minden, Germany
The Kreuzkirche in Minden is an archaeological site with preserved foundations and wall remnants arranged in a cross-shaped pattern. The layout shows four square rooms roughly four by four meters each, positioned around a central area and built with clay mortar construction.
The structure was built around 970 under Bishop Milo and was one of very few churches built in this particular style at that time. Over the centuries it disappeared, leaving only its foundations, which archaeologists later uncovered.
The church shows how medieval builders approached design, with four identical rooms arranged symmetrically around a central space. This layout reflects the careful planning that went into religious structures of that era.
The remains are protected by a glass structure that lets visitors view the archaeological traces without damaging them. The site is easy to reach, but note that the interior area is normally not accessible for walking through.
This building is one of only a handful of similar churches from the 10th century across all of Europe, with comparable examples found only in Prague, Krakow, and Trier. The graves of women and children discovered there offer glimpses into daily life of that era.
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