Bernward Doors

The Bernward Doors are a pair of bronze door leaves standing 472 centimeters (about 15.5 feet or 186 inches) tall at the cathedral in Hildesheim, featuring sixteen panels with biblical narratives rendered in relief. The panels are arranged on both leaves and follow a strict reading sequence from top to bottom, pairing creation and salvation stories across the two sides.

Bishop Bernward commissioned the doors in 1015 for his own church of St. Michael, but after his death they were moved to the cathedral. The doors are considered a masterpiece of Ottonian bronze art and rank among the oldest surviving figural door reliefs in Europe.

The left half shows scenes from the life of Adam and Eve leading to the murder of Abel, while the right side begins with the Annunciation and traces the redemption through Christ. This pairing works as a medieval visual sermon, connecting the Fall and salvation in a way that guides believers as they step inside.

Visitors enter the cathedral through side doorways, leaving the doors standing in a protected vestibule where you can study the reliefs up close. A morning visit often allows quieter moments in front of the panels, as tour groups tend to arrive later in the day.

Each door leaf weighs 1.8 tons (about 3970 pounds) and was cast in a single pour using the lost-wax method, an extraordinary technical achievement for the early 11th century. The figures project several centimeters from the background, creating a spatial depth that was rare for the period.