Welcome to Freiburg Cathedral
What makes the cathedral one of Freiburg's top attractions and the favorite building of its residents?
There are several good reasons for this: the construction—which, incidentally, took over 300 years! The planning required incredible foresight—spanning generations. Most of the builders never got to see the final result and simply had to trust that the cathedral would be completed according to their wishes.
The 116-meter-high west tower: as early as 1869, it was given the title "the most beautiful tower on earth" by the renowned art historian Jacob Burckhardt. The heavy walls and magnificent pillars in the lower section symbolize the connection to the earth. As a counterpart to this, the spire opens up to the sky. It was the first in the history of Gothic architecture to be built in a completely openwork style. Architecturally and artistically, it was therefore considered a model for countless European churches. The 750-year-old Hosanna, which gives the cathedral its distinctive sound. The bell, weighing three tons, is one of the oldest Angelus bells in Germany. Its sound is unmistakable: melancholic, loud, and clear. The many small details, such as the gargoyles. The 91 individually designed figures have the task of protecting the masonry from too much rainwater. At the same time, they are supposed to keep evil demons away from the house of God and were therefore often depicted with open, screaming mouths. Miraculously, Freiburg Minster was spared from war bombs – and now tells the story of over 800 years of city history.
Source: DZT Knowledge Graph
