Erfurter Dom

The Cathedral of Saint Mary stands on the site of two former churches, including one established by Saint Boniface in 742. In the mid Twelfth Century it was rebuilt as a Romanesque basilica. The church's current form was reached in the Fourteenth Century, went another renovation was undertaken in Gothic style.

The church is home to the oldest free standing cast work in Germany, a candelabra called the Erfurter Wolfram and the Maria Gloriosa, which was the world's largest free swinging bell when it was made in 1497. Today, it's the world's largest surviving free swinging Medieval bell, and is still in use. No chance to see the bell, and we might have seen the other thing. We definitely saw the relics of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (though they call her Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia), and Saint Boniface.

Two significant historical events occurred in the cathedral. The first, on July 26, 1184, is known as the Erfurt Latrine Disaster. Yes-- latrine disaster. King (later Emperor) Henry VI met with vassals and other area lords to try and broker an end to a feud between Landgrave Louis III of Thuringia, and Archbishop Conrad of Mainz. At some point during the meeting, the floor collapsed, sending nearly everyone in the room into the latrine beneath the church. Sixty people died, though Louis and Henry both survived.

On April 3, 1507 Martin Luther was ordained in the cathedral.

Today, the church is still Catholic, though Erfurt and the surrounding area by and large went Lutheran during the reformation.Read more