David J.
Yelp
Frankfurt's Cathedral is undoubtedly the city's principal historic site, and has played a major role in German history. Technically, however, it is not and never has been a Cathedral, since it has never been the seat of a Bishop. Originally the parish church of St Bartholemew, it was given the honorary title of 'Kaiserdom' or 'Imperial Cathedral' in the 18th century, to recognise the fact that German kings and emperors were elected here from 1152, and crowned here from 1562 until 1792.
There has been a church here since around 680 AD, and immediately in front of the great tower is a sunken garden, with the restored remains of the first Roman settlement, as well as from the subsequent Frankish period. (Frankfurt gets its name from 'the ford of the Franks', as the lowest ford on the River Main). These include parts of one of the earlier churches, slightly west of the present site. The present building is actually the result of two major reconstructions since mediaeval times: the first, after a disastrous fire in 1867, and the second after the severe damage inflicted by Allied bombing in World War II.
The form of the present building, however, dates largely from around 1250, when the church was enlarged in the early gothic style, with the choir and transepts added about a century later in decorated or high gothic style. The major exterior feature is the 95m high tower, although the splendid spire was actually added in 1867.
It is a good example of a 'hall church', with spacious aisles as high as the main nave. Although it follows the usual basic cross plan, the nave is relatively short, and effectively forms a square plan with the wide aisles. The transepts are also wide and deep, almost as wide as the church is long. But the main architectural effects are the height throughout the building, and the deep red paint which colours the walls (intended to look like stone, with the 'mortar' picked out in white).
But the interest really lies in its extensive late mediaeval furnishings. The first of these is the Crucifixion in the tower hall, executed by the Mainz sculptor Hans Backhoffen in 1509. Pride of place must then be fought between the Maria-Schaf altarpiece in the Mairenkapelle, dating from 1434 (and the only alterpiece that was actually constructed for the church), and the huge canvas of the 'Lamentation of Christ' by Van Dyck in the North Transept, completed in 1627.
The main high alterpiece is an elaborate gothic altar from the 15th century originally from the church in Salzwedel. Numerous 16th century altars from other churches in Germany are found in the transepts and in the Chapel of the Tomb of our Lord, the result of assiduous collecting by the late 19th century pastor, Münzenberger. They are all of high quality and have been well preserved, and together they form an important collection of late gothic German religious art.
Other items of interest include the magnificant memorial to Count Günther von Schwarzburg, elected as king in Frankfurt in 1349, although he abdicated and died in the same year. It depicts him in full mediaeval armour, holding an enormous jousting helm, and surrounded by heraldic shields. Finally, in the south transept is a rather inconscipuous 15th-century reliquary, opened only on holy days: this is said to contain a remnant of the skull of the apostle St Bartholemew himself.
