Berlin Cathedral

The magnificent dome of the Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom) is one of the main landmarks in Berlin’s cityscape – and marks the spot of the impressive basilica housing the city’s most important Protestant church.

Release time : 2017-07-27 19:10:04

source : www.visitberlin.de

designs before Wilhelm II was satisfied. Raschdorff’s opulent, grandiose structure was Berlin’s answer to Saint Peter’s in Rome and Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The old building was demolished in 1893, and the foundation stone for the new church laid in 1894. Eleven years later in 1905, the new church was consecrated. The church was severely damaged during the Second World War. After the division of Germany, the Cathedral Church was in East Berlin. The work on restoring the church began there in 1975, although in a simplified form. The full restoration was only completed in 1993, four years after the Berlin Wall fell. In 2008, a new golden cross on the dome replaced the rather simple one from the East German period.

Architecture

The Cathedral Church is dominated by a monumental dome crowned by a lantern with a golden cross and flanked by four towers. Raschdorff drew his inspiration from the Italian High Renaissance and the more florid baroque style. With its lavish mix of ornamental mosaics, gold features and impressive statues, the octagonal interior is clearly informed by the late nineteenth century’s love of grand gestures and display. The most notable works of art are the marble and onyx altar, designed by Friedrich August Stüler, and the white marble baptismal font by Christian Daniel Rauch. In the Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel, the monumental painting of the Descent of the Holy Spirit by Carl Begas in the style of Raphael is also well worth seeing.

Visiting the Cathedral Church

The main nave with the massive dome soaring above it is certainly one of the church’s signature sights, and not to be missed. In contrast, the simpler Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel is far more meditative, inviting visitors to stop, rest and reflect. The Hohenzollern Crypt, the most important dynastic sepulchre in Germany, contains nearly 100 sarcophagi and burial monuments from four centuries. Some are plain and simple, while