Paderborn Cathedral () is the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of the Catholic

Archdiocese of Paderborn The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paderborn () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn.

. It is located in the city centre of

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The cathedral is dedicated to

Saint Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

Saint Kilian Kilian, also spelled Cillian or Killian (or alternatively ; , original Gaelic form Ceallach), was an Ireland, Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (now the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours in the latter half ...

and

Saint Liborius Liborius of Le Mans (c. 348–397) was the second Bishop of Le Mans. He is the patron saint of the cathedral and archdiocese of Paderborn in Germany. The year of his birth is unknown; he died in 397, reputedly on 23 July. Le Mans and Paderborn A ...

. The official German name is ''Hoher Dom Ss. Maria, Liborius und Kilian''.

History

Previous structures

Today's cathedral is located in a position that has been occupied by churches for hundreds of years.

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

had a ''

Kaiserpfalz The term ''Kaiserpfalz'' (, "imperial palace") or ''Königspfalz'' (, "royal palace", from Middle High German ''phal ne'' to Old High German ''phalanza'' from Middle Latin ''palatia'' luralto Latin ''palatium'' "palace") refers to a number o ...

'' built near the sources of the Pader river. As early as 777 this palace had an attached church, dedicated to Christ (Salvator Mundi) and

Brigit of Kildare Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland (; Classical Irish: ''Brighid''; ; ) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish ...

. This church, located north of today's cathedral, served as chapel to the court as well as a basis for missionary work among the Pagan

Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

. Rebellious Saxons repeatedly destroyed this first church. After the locals converted to Christianity, the first cathedral was built.

Pope Leo III Pope Leo III (; died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death on 12 June 816. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlem ...

met Charlemagne at Paderborn in 799 and consecrated an altar to

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

, depositing some relics of that saint in it. The first cathedral of the newly established bishopric was a three-aisled

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

, dedicated to Mary and

. After the See was initially administered from

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

, in 806 Hathumar became the first Bishop of Paderborn. The second bishop,

Badurad Badurad, lists the following attested forms of his name from Latin documents: Baduradus, Badaradus, Baturatus, Baderadus, Baturicus, Bathuradus and Patratus. (died 17 September 862) was the bishop of Paderborn from 815 until his death. Badurad was ...

, asked the Bishop of

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

for the remains of a saint, to help with consolidating the faith of the local Saxons. In 836, the remains of

Liborius of Le Mans Liborius of Le Mans (c. 348–397) was the second Bishop of Le Mans. He is the patron saint of the cathedral and archdiocese of Paderborn in Germany. The year of his birth is unknown; he died in 397, reputedly on 23 July. Le Mans and Paderborn ...

were handed over to a delegation from Paderborn and

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

back to the cathedral. A fire destroyed the first cathedral in 1000 AD. Bishop

Ratherius Ratherius (887–890 AD – 974 AD) or Rathier or Rather of Verona was a teacher, writer, and bishop. His difficult personality and political activities led to his becoming an exile and a wanderer. Early life and career He was born sometime bet ...

began with rebuilding, but his successor

Meinwerk Meinwerk (c. 975 – 5 June 1036) was the Bishop of Paderborn from 1009 until his death. He was a member of the aristocratic Immedinger family and was granted his see on the understanding that his property would pass to the diocese on his death. ...

had the previous work destroyed and started over, building a three-aisled church with a

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

and

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

in the east. This (second) cathedral was consecrated in 1015, but destroyed in a city fire in 1058. Meinwerk's nephew, had the cathedral rebuilt on a significantly larger scale (third cathedral). This building, with two transepts, already was very similar to today's cathedral. Today's crypt was built around 1100 AD. Similarly, a chapel to

St. Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

, connected to the cathedral, would be built after 1015 by Greek monks.Krijna Nelly Ciggaar, ''Western Travellers to Constantinople: The West and Byzantium, 962-1204'', (E.J. Brill, 1996), 208. Another fire in 1133 damaged the church, but its core survived. Bernhard I. von Oesede had the building strengthened and extended (fourth cathedral); it was reconsecrated in 1144/45.

The current cathedral

In the 13th century, the cathedral was reconstructed, not due to damage but to bring it up to then current artistic and ecclesial standards. Construction likely began at the western end of the building (late Romanesque basilika, before 1220). The nave followed in the form of a

hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...

(i.e. with three aisles all reaching to the height of the central roof) in early

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

. It was completed in the late 13th century with High Gothic elements. In the 17th century, Prince-Bishops Dietrich Adolf von der Recke (1601-1661) and

Ferdinand von Fürstenberg Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

(1626–1683) replaced the Gothic interior features with

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

artworks. In 1930, the Diocese of Paderborn was promoted to

Archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. Repeated Allied bombing of Paderborn in 1945 resulted in severe damage to the cathedral and the loss of irreplaceable works of art, including all the historic glass windows. On 22 March 1945, fourteen people were killed by a

blockbuster bomb A blockbuster bomb or cookie was one of several of the largest conventional bombs used in World War II by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The term ''blockbuster'' was originally a name coined by the press and referred to a bomb which had enough explo ...

in the

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

. Reconstruction took until the 1950s. From 1978 to 1981, a major restoration was undertaken.

Architecture

External dimensions

* Length: 104 m * Width: 52 m * Height: 28 m * Height of the western tower: 93 m

Points of interest

* ''Paradiesportal'' (Paradise Portal), from the first third of the 13th century. It combines late Romanesque and early Gothic statuary. *

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...

, from around 1360, probably made in

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

. * Alabaster relief showing the veneration of the

Magi Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...

, made in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

. * ''Doppelmadonna'' (Double Madonna), hanging from the ceiling in the nave, from round 1480. * ''Reliquienrentabel'', the former Gothic high altar (made circa 1420 from light sandstone and designed to hold the St. Libori reliquary shrine, which was stolen in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

) was replaced in the 17th century by a Baroque high altar (destroyed 1945). It is now once again located in the cathedral's choir. * Tomb of Bishop Rotho (in office 1036–51), circa 1460. * ''Margarethenaltar'', the only remaining medieval wooden

retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

, painted by (c. 1465–1521). * Tomb of Prince-Bishop Dietrich IV von Fürstenberg (d. 1618), a

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

work made of black and white stone, rising almost 18 m. *

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

Régence The ''Régence'' (, ''Regency'') was the period in History of France, French history between 1715 and 1723 when King Louis XV was considered a minor (law), minor and the country was instead governed by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (a nephew ...

style, white and gold (1736), gifted on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the translation of Saint Liborius. * The baptismal font dates only from 1924, but the Mannerist screen surrounding it is from the 17th century.

Crypt

The

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

of Saint Liborius are kept in the three-aisled

, which is (with a length of 32 m) one of Germany's largest crypts. Towards the west are the tombs of the Archbishops of Paderborn. An antechamber features a 1935 mosaic on the walls and ceiling and in the centre of the floor the tombstone for Bishop Meinwerk, dating to the 13th century.

Window of Three Hares (''Dreihasenfenster'')

One of the cathedral's, and the city's, most recognisable features is the ''Dreihasenfenster'' ("Window of Three Hares"). It depicts

three hares The three hares (or three rabbits) is a circular motif appearing in sacred sites from China , the Middle East and the churches and synagogues of Europe, in particular those of Devon, England (as the " Tinners' Rabbits"), . It is used as an ar ...

in motion, arranged in a triangle. Each hare is shown as having two ears, although only three ears are visible in total. The original 16th century carving can be found in the

's inner courtyard, and has been duplicated on numerous buildings and a number of shops throughout the city centre.

Burials

* Lorenz Jaeger *

Bernard V of Lippe Bernhard of Lippe (1277-1341) was a German nobleman. He was Prince-Bishop of Paderborn as Bernard V. He is considered the founder of the medieval Prince-bishopric. His territoriality focused policies are characterized by the fact that he was ...

References

External links

Virtueller Rundgang durch den Paderborner Dom

Virtual tour of Paderborn Cathedral

Paderborn City website: Cathedral

Paderborn City website: Eine „Hasengeschichte“ [Story of the Hares]
(PDF; 213 kB)
Church service regulation
{{Authority control Towers completed in the 12th century Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Roman Catholic cathedrals in North Rhine-Westphalia Paderborn Buildings and structures in Paderborn (district)