Bonn Minster () is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church in

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

. It is one of Germany's oldest churches, having been built between the 11th and 13th centuries. At one point the church served as the de facto cathedral for the Archbishopric of Cologne, because it is the major church of what was then the Archbishop-Elector's residence. It is now a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

. It served as the inspiration for the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, as Kaiser Wilhelm II had studied in Bonn.

History

The basilica was built on the site of the graves of two martyrs Cassius and Florentius, the patrons of Bonn. They are piously believed to have been Roman legionaries of the

Theban Legion The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christianity, Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Roman Egypt, Egypt —"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — consisting of Christian soldiers who were marty ...

. At some point during their march to

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

, the legion refused to follow the emperor's orders either to kill the indigenous Christians or to worship

Maximian Maximian (; ), nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar (title), Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocleti ...

as a god. As a result, a large number of legionaries were martyred in Agaunum, now named Saint Maurice-en-Valais after Saint Maurice. According to legend, Saints Cassius and Florentius, who were under the command of Saint Gereon, were beheaded for their religious beliefs at the present location of the Minster. A memorial chapel was built in the early fourth century in what was a suburban cemetery about 1 km south of the Roman fortress. In the sixth century, a memorial building took its place. In the eighth century the Collegiate Church of SS. Cassius and Florentius" was built. The medieval town developed around the minster. A late Romanesque monastic church was constructed from 1140 to 1250. At one point the church served as the cathedral for the Archbishopric of Cologne."Bonn Minster", CurateND
/ref> The cathedral was the model for the Gedächtniskirche in Berlin. On Pentecost Sunday 1956, the church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica. A fund raising initiative was launched in 2014 for necessary renovations to the 1,000-year-old building to address cracks in the vault, water damage, and an aging electric service, among other concerns.

Architecture

The church has square towers decorated with Lombard bands; a Romanesque feature, the minster also shows adaptation of some Gothic elements. Writer T. Francis Bumpus said, "The most beautiful stone spire in Germany is that of the minster at Bonn."

Interior

The Minster in Bonn housed one of the first organs in Germany, when in 1230 one was placed on the east wall in the north transept."The Minster Organ celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2011", Johannes Klais Orgelbau GmbH & Co.
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Gallery

File:Cassius florentius muenster bonn 20080509.jpg, Sculptures of the legendary Cassius and Florentius in front of the church File:Bonner muenster 20080509a.jpg, Exterior of the church File:Bonner Muenster 2010 01 03 a.jpg, Transept and crossing tower File:Bonner Muenster Detail Hauptportal 2008 03 08.jpg, Detail of the main entrance with the coat of arms of the Holy See File:Martinsrelief Bonn Ernemann Sander.jpg, Equestrian relief of St.

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...

References

External links