Michaelskirche, Fulda

by craigwsJuly 4, 2026

In A.D. 744, St. Sturmius founded a monastery in Fulda and built a church on the site of the current cathedral. A cemetery for the monks was established on the hill overlooking the church. In 822 St. Michaels church was built at the direction of the Abbot Aegil as a burial chapel for the cemetery. It began as a small circular chapel built over a crypt. Over the years a nave, a second tower, and transepts were added. Except for periods of renovation and repair it has been in continuous use for 1200 years.

The entrance is through the square west tower into a welcome area with some literature. Then you pass through the narrow 11th century nave with some seating and gothic figures on the walls before reaching the rotunda.

The original circular chapel with its eight columns stands over a crypt built around a single central column. The biographer of Abbot Aegil, a monk named Candidus Bruun, described this design. The column in the crypt signifies Christ, the foundation of the church, the columns represent the beatitudes by which we order our lives. See the end of this post for a longer quote from the biography.

The circular tower over the main altar was apparently originally a single story stone dome. It was raised several times to its current height. This small east apse is framed by an 11th century depiction of the archangel Michael and others.

The crypt with the single pillar is accessed through the south transept via a circular stairway.

When I first visited this church in 2022, my main sources of information were literature available at the church and a few sparse internet pages. The advent of AI has opened up new paths of discovery.

I was intrigued by the mention of a biography of Aegil in a booklet at the church. The Claude chatbot located the original medieval latin text of both the prose and verse versions. I could never have found the text with traditional search methods. I used Google Translate to translate the passage related to the construction of St. Michael’s church. There are a couple odd phrases, but overall the english is very natural. The text takes a mere architectural relic and brings to life the people who first worshiped there.

Here’s the translation:

The father of the monastery, diligently learning the joys of common life, with the advice and consent of the brethren, built a small round church, where the deceased bodies of the brethren, given up for burial, rest, which they call a cemetery, which is called χοιμητηςιοη in Greek, but in Latin it is interpreted as dormitory. The structure of this building, also, under the ground, where the passage goes around the cave, rises strongly from a single stone column placed in the middle, with arches here and there joined to it; but above it is supported by eight columns and at the top of the work is closed with a single stone. This building, indeed, was designed by this venerable father and the above-mentioned master with his companions, who were learned by divine teaching, and which, however, I think, can be foreshadowed by the figure of Christ and the church, while preserving the faith of Christ and the church. For the apostle Paul, who himself is called a vessel of election by the Lord, speaking clearly to his hearers about the church of Christ, built of living stones, that is, holy men, that it is the dwelling place of God, says: For the temple of God is holy, which you are; the chief builder and builder of whose roof is Christ Jesus, the foundation and pillar, which remains forever immovable by the power of perpetual majesty; in whom every building, when constructed, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. What this signifies, that in the top one stone the perfection of this building is completed, is suggested by the same teacher, who teaches us to pray with an intent mind, that ‘he who began a good work in us may complete it until the day of Christ Jesus, so that all our work may always begin with God and be finished through him, having begun. Therefore, the eight pillars standing in this temple of the Lord are fittingly adapted to the eight beatitudes, which the Lord himself includes in the gospel, so that whoever completes these four times two times with Jesus may deserve to be held in this church as the support of Christ. But the circle of the church, which has no end, having within it the summaries of life, that is, the divine sacraments, the kingdom of perpetual majesty and the hope of eternal life and the lasting rewards, with which the just are deservedly crowned for ever, does not seem to signify incongruously.

Regensburg Cathedral

by craigwsFebruary 4, 2026

Regensburg is a lively World Heritage site on the River Danube. Viewed from the stone bridge (built ca 1135), the Cathedral of St. Peter rises above the town skyline. Below the spires, white umbrellas mark the Wurstkuchl which has been selling bratwurst for over 500 years.

Construction on the cathedral began in 1273 and follows a high gothic design established by the second architect in 1285. The design was adhered to through completion in 1872. Thus the church has a remarkably coherent appearance for its 600 year timeline.

Originally, the interior was painted and frescoed. Elaborate ornamentation was added during the Baroque era. In the 19th century the decorations were removed leaving only the stone with the vertical lines of the columns leading the eye upward, while the early gothic windows and silver altar (19th century) draw the eye forward. Light from the aisle windows alternates with shadows to give dynamism to the entire interior.

Although Germany is largely a secular nation, many still seek spiritual connections. A few folks can be often be found in quiet prayer or meditation, especially in the morning before most tourists arrive.

The organ in the north transept was installed in 2009. It is suspended by four cables that pass through the vault and connect to a steel structure above. The sculpture of Mary in the lower left faces the angel above the praying man in the previous image. Together they represent the annunciation and were carved about 1280/85.

Unlike the churches of the Rhine which are build mostly of red sandstone, Regensburg Cathedral is constructed primarily of limestone. There are however many places where green sandstone was used. The sandstone is soft and much eroded. I asked a couple official looking people about it but could not determine if both type of stone were original or if the mix was the result of prior renovations. If anyone can clarify, please leave a comment. Below is a close-up of the two types of stone.

Back on the bridge, as the sun was setting, a busker entertained passersby with music and bubbles.

Bamberger Dom

by craigwsJuly 6, 2024July 6, 2024

As similar as medieval churches may seem at first glance, there is wide variation when one takes a closer look. Each church has unique stories to tell.

The diocese of Bamberg was founded in A.D. 1007 under the patronage of Heinrich II and his wife Kunigunde. The first cathedral was consecrated in 1012. After two fires, the present building was constructed from about 1215 to 1237. In Germany, this was a time of transition from the Romanesque style to the Gothic.

Thick walls, rounded arches and relatively small windows mark the main body of the church as Romanesque. The upper stories of the four towers with their copper clad spires display the lighter structure and pointed arches of the Gothic period.

The view of the interior below shows the east choir, the oldest section of the church, and the nave. The choir is very traditional Romanesque. Along the nave, note the heavy piers and very shallow points of the arches. The ribs of the vaulted roof are among the heaviest I have seen. Perhaps these are indications that German architects, or their patrons, were only cautiously adopting the new Gothic technology. See my post about the cathedral in Magdeburg, for comparison.

The interior has undergone several significant “redecorations.” Most notably, the 17th century saw a renovation in the elaborate Baroque style. In the 19th century the church was restored to the plainer style that would have prevailed in the 13th century. The fresco of Christ returning in judgement was completed in 1928 in that style.

At the bottom center of the image above, between the stairs, is the tomb of the sainted, imperial couple who founded the bishopric and first cathedral. I was sure that I stood on the steps and photographed the top where their images are carved in relief, but I somehow didn’t. At the other end of the church, In the west crypt there is a shrine where their two crowned heads are displayed in a glass case on a stele.

The cathedral and town are especially proud of the sculpture of a rider on the pier to the left of the east choir. This has been dated to about 1235 and is accounted the oldest such statue in Germany. The model for it is unknown, but is variously said to be King Stephen of Hungary, Constantine, or another king or noble.

Bamberg, like many other german cathedrals has a choir at each end. The west choir was the last section of the cathedral built, and it is pure, early gothic. The walls are somewhat thinner, the windows larger with distinctly pointed arches, and the heavy ribbed vaults are more elaborate than in those in the nave.

The founders, especially Kunigunde, receive special attention in Bamberg. The southeast portal of the cathedral is flanked by six figures. On the left are St. Stephen, Kunigunde, and Heinrich. There is also a supersized statue of the empress on one of the bridges leading to the cathedral. She is smiling down at an empty beer bottle that someone tucked between her scepter and waist.

Some of the information in this post was gleaned from a brochure available at the cathedral. See the official website .

Dominikanerkirche St. Andreas, Köln

by craigwsOctober 1, 2017November 26, 2023

Dedicated to St. Andrew, this church lies a short block from the more famous Cathedral of Cologne. The nave, aisles and west end were built between 1180 and 1245 in the romanesque style.

The choir and apsidal transepts were added in the 15th century in the high gothic style. The choir is longer than the nave, almost making two churches that meet at the crossing. Yet, the overall effect is very unified.

This church is the repository of some remarkable relics (giving them the benefit of the doubt for the moment). St. Andrew’s arm bone is reputedly contained in a reliquary in the apse of the choir. The south transept holds a 16th century gilded reliquary that reputedly contains the bones of seven Jewish brothers and their mother. The apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees records their torture and death at the hands of Antiochus. When the synagogue near which they were buried was converted to a Christian church, their bones were recovered and eventually found their way to Cologne in 1164.

When the choir was built, the crypt underneath was sealed up. After WWII, the crypt was reopened and renovated. A chapel was opened up underneath the crossing to house the relics of Albertus Magnus, a Dominican scholar and scientist of the 13th century. The sarcophagus is a roman artifact once held at the nearby St. Ursula church. Albertus was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931.

As unique as the shrine of the Jewish martyrs is, the reliquary in the vestibule (with St. Andrew in the background) is perhaps the strangest. I thought at first it was a baptismal font. It is in fact supposed to contain the blood of the virgins who were martyred with St. Ursula in the 3rd or 4th century. The stone “font” itself is 16th century.

St. Gereon, Köln Part II

by craigwsAugust 23, 2017November 26, 2023

The unique decagonal nave of this church opens to east into a choir which was completed about 1156. Much of the original furniture was destroyed in WWII and the structure required significant repairs. Yet the heavy, round-arch, romanesque design elements are evident.

The apse retains most of the original wall paintings, including the enthroned Christ, St. Gereon, and a bishop brandishing a sword. The windows are modern.

Opening off the south side of the decagon is a baptistry built 1242-45. By that time the gothic style had taken hold in German lands. The font itself is of a somewhat earlier date.

Opposite the font is a late gothic altar. The wall paintings date to the mid-13th century, about the time of construction.

One of the most striking features of the church is a chapel with a 19th century pieta. Although the gilded vault and variegated marble panels are eye-catching, the monochrome sculpture stands out even more.

St. Gereon, Köln, Part I

by craigwsAugust 1, 2017November 26, 2023

St. Gereon Kirche is unique north of the Alps. The lower levels date to about 350-65. The central structure is oval with semicircular niches that may have once held memorials to early noble families. Some of the stone in the vaults of these niches was recycled from Roman structures. The upper portions of this structure were renovated and extended several times during the past millennium. The visual splendor can only be approximated in photos, but this view of the ceiling gives some idea of what it is like to stand in the center of this remarkable church.

Each of the niches mentioned has a different pieced glass window. Here are a few of them. They are just another indication that modern ideas of unified design did not obtain in the Middle Ages.

A fascinating aspect of these ancient churches is the stories they have to tell about the people who inspired them, built them and worshipped here.

St. Gereon was, according to tradition, one of fifty Roman soldiers from Egypt who were beheaded for refusing to deny their Christian faith. They were thrown into a well on the site of this church. Excavations after WWII failed to locate such a burial, but there are sarcophagi here from Roman times. These same excavations uncovered coins minted after 345, disproving the tradition that the church was founded by St. Helen. However, it is certain that the main oval structure was begun during the 4th century.

This sculpture of Gereon´s head is in the park adjacent to the church. It weighs 8 tonnes and measures about 8 feet from the neck to helmet. An international project in some sense, it was created by a German-Turkish sculptor in Thailand.

St. Pantaleon Kirche, Köln, Tenth Century HRE Family Connections

by craigwsJuly 18, 2017November 26, 2023

Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, who is entombed at Magdeburg, appointed his brother Bruno as Archbishop of Cologne. Bruno found St.Pantaleon in need of repair and began a massive renovation. He died in A.D. 965 and is buried in the crypt. In 972, Otto arranged the marriage of his son, Otto II, with Theophanu, a princess of the Byzantine Empire. After Otto’s early death, Theophanu ruled the empire as regent during the minority of her son, Otto III. She installed her daughter Adelheid as abbess at St. Serviatus, Quedlinburg. She funded the extension of the westwork of St. Pantaleon, and on her death in A.D. 991, was entombed at St. Pantaleon.

Sarcophagus of Archbishop Bruno

Sarcophagus of Theophanu

The church is a quick guide to the history of art and architecture from roman times to the present. Beneath the choir, excavations have uncovered the foundations of a roman villa dating to the 3rd century.

Later this plot of land became a cemetery and a simple chapel was raised on the site in the 7th century. In the 9th century, under Bruno, this was lengthened and remains as the nave of the church. Theophanu’s contribution was the western extension with these bi-color arches that were characteristic of 9th and 10th century Rheinland churches.

In the 12th century, side aisles with groin arches were added, a gothic rood screen followed in the early 16th century with further additions of a gothic apse, stained glass windows and a massive baroque altar (1747-9).

Rood Screen from 1503.

Gothic Apse, 1620, and Baroque altar 1740s.

The central nave was vaulted in the 17th century. But after damage in WWII, it was restored as a coffered ceiling more in line with the original design. The religious symbols etched in the panels are executed in a very 20th century style.

Germany’s First Gothic Cathedral: Magdeburger Dom

by craigwsJune 9, 2017November 26, 2023

D6B_1267_8_9_fused — The massive Magdeburger Dom rises from a rocky outcrop along the Elbe River.

The gothic style first appeared in France at St. Denis in A.D. 1147. The style came to Germany 60 years later. I’ve often wondered why it took so long. How the style came to Magdeburg is clear however. Archbishop Albrecht II von Kefernburg (in office 1205-1232) had studied in Paris and seen the building of Notre Dame Cathedral. The 300 year old church in Magdeburg burned in 1207. Albrecht razed the ruin and re-built in the new style beginning in 1209.

Although the church includes pointed arched and ribbed vaults, there are no flying buttresses, and the overall visual effect is a blend of the late Romanesque and early Gothic. Some of this blend can be observed in the chancel: mixed round and pointed arches, mixed groin and arched vaults and thick rectangular piers with half columns supporting arches.

On entering the cathedral, one is tempted merely to absorb the immensity, the repetition of lines and curves, and 800 years of history.

There are many details to study as well. (Click each thumbnail for bigger images).

Cowgoyle at west portal

Space Organ

The parable of the ten virgins and the last judgment. North Transept.

I didn’t catch his name, but he’s looking right at me.

Pieta with Flowers

Screen inside West Portal

Otto I (d. 973) who was instrumental in consolidating and extending the German Empire, is entombed in the center aisle of the choir. We attended an Anglican evensong service here (in English, mit deutscher Übersetzung). The sound was glorious.

One evening, we were reading the notice board at the entrance to the Cathedral when a man on a bike paused to speak with us. He told us how, as a student in the DDR (East Germany), during a two week work period before the term, he had helped lay the cobblestone paving of the churchyard. The statue is St. Mauritius a third century African Roman soldier honored by the cathedral.

When we arrived just before sunset to photograph the west front of the Cathedral, a boy and his father were kicking a soccer ball in the plaza. I was waiting quietly, but impatiently, for them to move on. After about 5 minutes they did.

A Different Angle: Marktkirche St. Benedikti, Quedlinburg

by craigwsAugust 5, 2016June 13, 2022

Consecrated by a woman, rebuilt and repaired with dramatic asymmetry, this church stands in the center of a World Heritage town of narrow crooked streets.

The original cross-shaped, romanesque basilica on this site was consecrated in 1173 by Abbess Adelheid III. The bishop of Halberstadt objected to this procedure but was overruled by the Pope who confirmed the right of the Abbess to perform the consecration.

The first thing one notices on entering the nave is that the axis of the nave is offset significantly from the axis of the choir. The center aisle is more than a meter narrower on the right hand side than the choir. Furthermore, the first arcade opening on the south is several feet wider than the opening on the north.

The reason for this misalignment may have been funding. When the choir and nave were rebuilt in the 15th century as a Gothic hall church, the north side of the nave was widened, and new foundations were established for the piers of the arcade. On the south side, as apparent cost saving measures, the old foundations were retained, and a portion of the former transept was retained as the east wall of the aisle.

Marktkirche St. Benedikt, Quedlinburg — View to West. Notice the south wall (left) of the nave arcade is shifted inward from the line of the choir wall.

I can imagine the architect thinking, “If the client won’t provide the funds to do it right, I’ll build something they will regret for the next 1000 years.” But seriously, the building is still in use 600 years after these practical measures were taken. That’s more than we can say for a lot of more recent structures that have disappeared.

The asymmetrical spires are the result of reconstruction after fires in 1701 and 1901.

The Kalandskapelle was the gathering place of the local chapter of a charitable society of prosperous citizens and priests who met on the first day of each month (i.e. of the calendar). The society was quite widespread from the 9th century through the end of the middle ages, and there are a couple chapters extant even today. The altarpiece dates to about 1480.

The high altar, dating to about 1700, includes the familiar, the apostles Paul and John, Moses, David, Christ on the road to Emmaus, as well as some unusual images for an altar, Jonah and the fish and Samson carrying the gates of Gath.

Carvings on the stair to the pulpit

Carvings on the pulpit

Carvings on the stair to the pulpit

The pulpit dates to 1595 and is carved out of linden wood with images of the garden of Eden, the apostles, and the Passion.

This statue of David was once used as a support for the organ loft.

Information for this article was gathered at the church and from the booklet “Quedlinburg, Marktkirche St. Benedikti, Welterbe der UNESCO.” ISBN 3-89643-598-1

A Visit to Speyer Cathedral

by craigwsJuly 17, 2014June 13, 2022

Walking down Maximillianstrasse in Speyer for the first time is dangerous. The eye is drawn so powerfully to the massive block of the west face of the Cathedral (Dom) that one is apt to collide with an oncoming pedestrian or bicycle. The alternating courses of red and yellow sandstone make the broad front seem even wider than it is. There is symmetry, rhythm and balance to the main face of the church. But the weathered roughness of two plain, red towers and a cupola rises behind, photo-bombing the finer detail of the main face.

I suppose that is why so many writers complain of the west front which was re-built in the 1800s. There is nothing wrong with it in itself, IMHO, but it conflicts with the 1000 year old feel of the rest of the church.

It is not the case however that the rest has survived unaltered. In 1689 the church burned, the western half nearly leveled, and it was not restored until about 70 years later. That first reconstruction though was fairly true to the original building and it takes a close look to find the boundary between the 11^th/12^th century original and the 18^th century repairs.

Circumambulating the church, one is impressed by the length, 134m, the long rows of windows and arcades and the essential unity of style. Even the copper roof complements the red sandstone. Surrounded by parkland, it is relaxing to take some time doing this. Apart from the sacristy on the southeast corner, Speyer did not acquire the gothic additions that its siblings at Mainz and Worms did. Or rather, those it did acquire perished in the 1689 fire. Thus there is a stronger sense of unity and integrity here.

The square towers at the east end are the oldest structures, dating to the early 11th century. They are constructed of smaller, rougher stone than the rest of the church.

We enter from the west. The nave is very well lit. When the clerestory was updated in about 1125, the windows were unusually large and only superseded in size and luminance by Gothic construction. Also unusual for a Romanesque church are the tall half cylinder columns that were added in the early 12^th century to support the vaults. They create a strong vertical element that draws the eye upward as effectively as the long arcade draws the eye toward the sanctuary.

There is a large-scale rhythm created by the twelve lower level arches, triforium level paintings, clerestory and vaults. As you move around the church, into the aisles and even to the crypt, the regular division of space and round arches create a harmonious whole. In the images above, taken to the east and west respectively, one can identify the demarcation between the original work and the 18th century reconstruction. On the left, the nearest transverse arch is entirely pink stone indicating it is part of the reconstruction while the farther arches alternate yellow and pink. On the right the closest several piers are mostly yellow stone from the early building while the farther pink sections in the west are from the reconstruction. The organ was installed in 2011.

The exterior of the eastern apse is built of finely finished ashlars, but the interior is built of rougher stone and the courses are not quite level. I suspect the reason was that it was easier and cheaper to build with small stones and not finish them smoothly if they intended to plaster and paint the wall. It could represent an economic decision rather than a skill deficit on the part of the early builders.

The crypt is the largest Romanesque crypt in the world. There are seven altars, a chapel and tombs of 8 German emperors from the 11^th through 13^th centuries, including Rudolf I, the first king of the Habsburg dynasty.

All visitors should climb the tower, where I received a bit of unexpected cultural education. A young guide was happy to chat about the view, cathedral, town and historical events. I asked him about the French invasion of 1689, the attendant fire and destruction. He earnestly responded that “we don’t say French, we just say foreign army. We are all friends now.” Message received. He does not want anyone to think he holds any modern person responsible for something that happened in the past.

The prospect from the top is spectacular. One can see the roof and towers up close with the backdrop of the Rhine on the east and a view over the town with the mountains of the Palatine Forest to the west.

There is much more that could be said about this special place but that will have to wait for another time.

Craig's Places

Author and Photographer

Germany