Bonn Minster
Minster of St. Martin's | |
---|---|
![]() Bonn Minster | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Papal basilica minor |
Location | |
Location | Bonn, Germany |
Geographic coordinates | 50.7333°N 7.1°E |
Architecture | |
Type | minster |
Style | Romanesque architecture |
Specifications | |
Direction of façade | East, Slightly Southeast |
Height (max) | 81.4 meters |
Dome(s) | None |
Spire(s) | Five |
Website | |
Website |
Bonn Minster (German: Bonner Münster) is a Roman Catholic church in Bonn. 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 (Cologne itself having secured independence from his secular government). It is now a minor basilica. It served as the inspiration for the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, as Kaiser Wilhelm II had studied in Bonn.
History[]
Originally the Minster was the collegiate church of Saints Cassius and Florentius, who were Roman legionaries of the legendary all-Christian Theban Legion.[1] The legion's garrison, according to legend, was in the Egyptian town of Thebes. Roman Emperor Maximianus Herculius ordered the legion to march to Gaul and assist in subduing rebels from Burgundy. At some point during their march, the legion refused to follow the emperor's orders either to kill fellow Christians or to worship Maximianus Herculius 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.[2]
Gallery[]
Sculptures depicting the heads of Saints Cassius & Florentius in front of Bonn Minster.
view longhouse
winter view
See also[]
- List of basilica churches in Germany
References[]
- ^ Christoph Keller (May 2006). "Legende auf dem Prüfstand". Archäologie in Deutschland. 5.
- ^ Ulrike Muessemeier (2004). "Die merowingerzeitlichen Funde aus der Stadt Bonn und ihrem Umland" (Dissertation). Bonn. Cite journal requires
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External links[]
Media related to Bonn Minster at Wikimedia Commons
- Roman Catholic churches in Bonn
- Former cathedrals in Germany
- Basilica churches in Germany
- Tourist attractions in Bonn
- Roman Catholic cathedrals in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Europe Roman Catholic church stubs
- German church stubs
- North Rhine-Westphalia building and structure stubs