Essen Minster, Gothic cathedral in Essen, Germany
Essen Minster is a Gothic hall church in the center of Essen with an octagonal western tower and a crypt, both built from light sandstone. The interior divides into three aisles of equal height, separated by slender pillars and lit through tall stained-glass windows.
The building originated from a women's abbey founded around 845 by Bishop Altfrid of Hildesheim. After severe damage in World War II, reconstruction took place in the 1950s while preserving the Gothic framework.
The treasury holds the Golden Madonna, the oldest free-standing sculpture of Mary north of the Alps. Alongside it, medieval reliquaries, manuscripts, and liturgical vestments reveal the wealth of the former women's abbey and remain accessible to visitors today.
The minster opens daily from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM for visitors wishing to see the main hall and the crypt. Guided tours, which also grant access to the chapel of the Golden Madonna, can be arranged on site and last around one hour.
The design deliberately followed its own plan and avoided imitating Cologne Cathedral to underline the abbey's independence during the Middle Ages. This architectural autonomy shows especially in the proportions of spatial volumes and the window zones.
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