Schleswig Cathedral

Schleswig Cathedral (

Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624. It is now a church of the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the seat of the Lutheran Bishop of Schleswig and Holstein, and ranks among the most important architectural monuments of Schleswig-Holstein

.

History

Predecessors

In 850 a missionary church was founded in Haithabu (

Otto I installed three dioceses on the Cimbrian peninsula: Ribe, Schleswig and in 948 Århus

. After the foundation of the Schleswig diocese in 947, the first cathedral in Schleswig was built. Today, neither the size nor the location of this cathedral is known.

Construction

In 1134, construction of a new romanesque basilica began. The work was only completed around 1200, because an additional nave was constructed that can still be seen today. Construction materials included granite, tuff from the Rhine, and brick.

In 1134, the Danish

Gottorp and stuffed into a boggy grave. Someone hammered a stake through Niels' chest to keep him there. Legend has it that King Niels' still haunts the cathedral, and that he still hunts across the moors and forest of Schleswig with his hounds.^[1] King Frederick I of Denmark

is entombed in the cathedral.

After the collapse of two towers and some parts of the basilica in 1275, the High Gothic Hall Choir was constructed and completed around 1300.

The Late Gothic Hall Church was built from 1200 to 1408 and was finally completed in the 16th century. In 1894 that the cathedral got its final outward appearance. In 1879 Schleswig became the provincial capital in 1879, and in 1888 the construction of a

William II of Prussia. It was completed in 1894 and at 112 metres, a little too high compared to the proportions of the cathedral. There is a viewing platform on the tower at 65 metres which commands a great view on the city of Schleswig, the Schlei and the fishing village of Holm. As of 2006

, one can view the bells above the platform with a special guided tour starting in the cathedral.

Beside the Gothic Altar of the

Magi (c. 1300) in the southern choir, a bronze baptismal font in the high choir by Ghert Klinghe (1480) and a four-metre-high wood carving of Christophorus

, the cathedral's main attraction is the famous Bordesholm Altar.

The cathedral in detail

The Petri Portal

Access to the cathedral is granted through the romanesque Petri Portal, dating back to 1180.

A variety of materials were used for the portal's construction: granite, red

Skåne, limestone from Gotland and tuff from the Rhineland

.

On the

St. Paul

.

Beside the portal, there is a weathered sculpture of a lion; another one can be found on the outer wall of the sacristy.

The sacristy

The

dukes of Holstein-Gottorp

.

The High Choir

Bishop Berthold arranged for an expansion of the High Choir at the end of the 13th century. Also, frescos were added, depicting the

St. Peter, Deesis and angels. The choir banks were manufactured by an unknown artist working under the pseudonym

Magister rusticus at the beginning of the 16th century.

The Schwahl

The three-winged

legendary creatures. During Advent

, a small art market takes place in the cloisters.

The Brüggemann-Altar

The altar, carved by Hans Brüggemann from 1514 to 1521 is the cathedral's main attraction

Detail from the centre of the *Brüggemann-Alter*: Jesus carrying the cross

The

pantocrator

.

Originally, the altar was manufactured for the Augustinian Chorherrenkirche (i.e. collegiate church) in Bordesholm. After the priory's dissolution, the Duke Christian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp arranged for the altar's transfer to Schleswig Cathedral in 1666. A young Emil Nolde helped with the altar's restoration in Flensburg at the end of the 19th century.

Cenotaph of Frederick I

In the northern choir nave, an elegant

sculptor Cornelis Floris de Vriendt. Instead of the usual seven virtues, the (empty) sarcophagus

stands only on six.

The Blue Madonna

Jürgen Ovens (1623–1678) painted his Blue Madonna which was originally called Holy Family with Johannes, in 1669. It is situated on a pillar in the northern side nave. The influence of Anthony van Dyck is clearly visible on the baroque painting.

Jürgen Ovens, born 1623 in Tönning, was a pupil of

Castle Gottorf

.

Central Tower

The central tower was constructed by

Marienkirche in Lübeck

. The tower had fallen into disrepair in the early 1950s and was restored from 1953 to 1956.

Burials

References

^ Huitfeldt, Arild. Danmarks Riges Krønike

External links

Official Page of Schleswig Cathedral (in German)

Pictures

54°30′48″N 9°34′09″E / 54.51333°N 9.56917°E / 54.51333; 9.56917

[1] Huitfeldt, Arild. Danmarks Riges Krønike

[1]

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