Erfurt Cathedral, Gothic cathedral in Erfurt, Germany
Erfurt Cathedral is a Gothic bishop's church built of light beige Seeberg sandstone on Cathedral Hill in Erfurt, Germany. Its central tower carries a green copper spire, with smaller green spires along the roofline and dark slate roofs over the side aisles. Deep pointed-arch windows with tracery line the walls, and an arched stone porch wraps around the base beside Cathedral Square.
Saint Boniface founded the first church on this site in 742, which underwent multiple reconstructions and expansions over the centuries. The current Gothic structure began taking shape in 1154 and received its final form during the 14th and 15th centuries.
The cathedral has been the seat of the Diocese of Erfurt since 1994; for the rest of the Middle Ages it belonged to the collegiate foundation of St Mary. Its name day and the feast of the church are celebrated with services in the High Choir, where the late Gothic stained glass cycle survives largely intact. The neighbouring St Severus Church is a separate parish church, not part of a twin foundation with the cathedral.
The main entrance faces Cathedral Square and can be reached by climbing a long outdoor staircase with 70 steps. The interior displays Gothic vaulted ceilings, tall windows, and several side chapels open for viewing during visiting hours.
The central tower houses the Maria Gloriosa, a bell cast in 1497 with a diameter of about 8 feet (2.5 meters), making it the largest free-swinging medieval bell in the world. It rings only on major church feast days and special occasions.
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