Paderborn Cathedral, Cathedral in Paderborn, Germany
Paderborn Cathedral is a Romanesque and Gothic building of tan and grey masonry with dark slate roofs, 104 m long and 52 m wide. Its 93 m western tower rises over the choir, flanked by two round towers, and carries a steep green copper spire. The main facade has a triangular gable with a cross, three circular carvings and a large pointed-arch window with vertical tracery.
The first church arose here during the time of Charlemagne on the site of a burned Saxon settlement near the Pader springs. The present building was constructed in the 13th century and has shaped the cityscape ever since.
The name Liborius refers to the patron saint whose relics have been venerated here since the 9th century. Pilgrims still visit his shrine located within the large crypt beneath the main floor.
The building stands in the center of the old town directly above the spring basins of the Dielenpader and Rothobornpader rivers. The main entrance is on the western side where the towers rise above the square and offer good orientation.
The Paradiesportal on the north side, from the first third of the 13th century, combines late Romanesque and early Gothic sculpture. Look for the Window of Three Hares: three running hares share only three ears between them. The 16th-century original is in the cloister's inner courtyard and has been copied on buildings across the city centre.
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