In 1956, the Council of Europe donated the famous choir window by Max Ingrand, the "Strasbourg Madonna" (see also Flag of Europe Biblical interpretation). The window was a gift to the Cathedral in 1956 from the Council of Europe, which has headquarters in Strasbourg. This mechanism displays the phases of the moon. Architect Erwin von Steinbach is credited for major contributions from 1277 to his death in 1318, and beyond through his son Johannes von Steinbach, and his grandson Gerlach von Steinbach, who succeeded him as chief architects. The chevet, or east end, probably also had a tower, and was flanked by two chapels. [46] and stored in a salt mine near Heilbronn, Germany. The central figures depict the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, and the Crucifixion and Passion of Christ, all with exceptional expression and detail. The rounded arches of tympanum over the doorway contain sculpture of the Virgin Mary dying, surrounded by the Twelve Apostles and being crowned by Christ.

[53], Unlike the sculpture of earlier cathedrals, the Strasbourg statues clearly show emotions; the prophets look severe, the Virgins appear serene, the Virtues look noble, and the frivolous Virgins appear foolish. [86], Life of the Virgin Mary tapestry - "The Nativity" (163857), The cathedral has a particularly fine group of fourteen tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. [71], The narthex of the cathedral and massive pillars supporting the tower, seen from the central nave, Inside of west front doors, with blind rose window and column-statue of St. Peter. (15th c.), The chapel as it appeared in the 14th century (19th-century engraving), Tomb of Bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg (131020), The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located just to the left of the apse, at the northeast end of the cathedral. [17] The first recorded bishop, Amand, participated in the Councils of Cologne and Sardique in 346 and 347. In 1918 Alsace and Strasbourg and Alscace were once again attached to France. The reddish-brown sandstone from the Vosges mountains gives the cathedral its distinctive colour.[8]. The sculpture of the portals was returned to its places or restored between 1811 and 1827. The central decoration is sculptural work dedicated to the Virgin Mary donated by the de Barby brothers in 1521. The Gothic pillars of the new section were copied exactly from those of the Basilica of Saint Denis.

two bells are from 1987 and 2006. This included rebuilding the crypt and the addition of new stained-glass windows. [69] The medieval crossing dome's aspect was altered several times over the centuries. The reverse of the central doors of the portal has a column statue of Saint Peter holding the keys of the kingdom and above it a blind rose, without glass, a miniature version of the large rose window above it. The statue of the "Synagogue" is blindfolded, since Jews did not recognise the divinity of Christ. Choir pipe organ, north side of the choir, Height of observation deck: 66m (217ft), Exterior height of central nave: 40m (130ft), Inside height of central nave: 32m (105ft), Inside width of central nave: 16m (52ft), Inside height of lateral naves: 19m (62ft), Exterior width of west faade: 51.5m (169ft), Diameter of west faade rose window: 13.6m (45ft). The faade is supported and divided vertically by four narrow buttresses, each decorated with sculpture. On the south side, the upper windows depict soldiers, popes, bishops, and other masculine figures. The walls of the tower have tall lancet openings, which show the bells and bring light into the interior, and are decorated on the exterior with interlocking pointed gables. [71], Two chapels, devoted to Saint Andrew and Saint John the Baptist, were attached to the two sides of the apse. The sculpture largely dates to the late 13th century and is similar in theme and style to that of the sculpture of Reims Cathedral made between 1250 and 1260, though the Strasbourg sculpture shows greater realism.[53]. The original Romanesque crypt was kept and expanded westwards. [45] During that same war, the stained glass was removed in 74 cases. All the parts of the clock together are 18m (59ft) high. One can see 30 kilometers from the observation level, which provides a view of the Rhine banks from the Vosges all the way to the Black Forest. It also contains the tomb of Conrad de Bussnang, a prominent member of the chapter, whose image is portrayed in sculpture praying before the Virgin and child. In 1877, architect Gustave Klotz reconstituted the windows in their original arrangement. [52], The cathedral has three portals, corresponding to the three vessels of the nave. It was rebuilt 1298, in 13241327, in 1384, 1430, and 1489 and finally in 1716 by Andr Silbermann. It is decorated with four vertical groups of statue-columns, depicting scenes from Christ and the Last Judgement, as well as four angels carrying the instruments of the Passion, and above that, four more angels sounding trumpets. Repairs to war damage were completed only in the early 1990s. Originally the lantern was topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the cathedral, but in 1488 it was replaced by a fleuron, or flower-shaped ornament. [68] Its base is topped by a gallery with pointed arches, beneath a level with large arched bays, two on each side, side, divided by clusters of columns. [83] The present clock was built by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgu between 1837 and 1842.[83]. The rose windows of the west transept facade were made between 1230 and 1235, Above the rose are smaller round oculi from the same period, depicting Biblical symbols; the Alpha and Omega, the Candelabra of the Ancient Alliance, and others which combine floral and geometric designs. The rose window, with a rayonnant Gothic design, is fourteen metres in diameter and was finished in 1345. This project was completed in 1926, after the end of the war. Formerly the floor of the crossing was filled with tombs of notable religious figures, but they were moved in later reconstructions. The primary decorative element is the rose window, added between 1320 and 1340, and substantially restored since. The grand organ, located high on the wall of the north side of the nave, is recorded as existing in 1260. The narthex is the portion of the cathedral just inside the west front, beneath the tower. There are two altars fixed to west pillars of the crossing, both from the 16th century; one devoted to Saint Pancras of Rome and the other to Saint Maurice. He reconstructed the dome over the transept in a grander, Romanesque Revival style. 1439-1939", "Straburger Mnster, Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg", "Straburger Mnster Mnster Unserer Lieben Frau", Notre Dame Cathedral (original plans and contemporary photographs), Historical Sketch of the Cathedral of Strasbourg, Diocese of GrenobleVienne-les-Allobroges, Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris, Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Paris, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great of Paris, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strasbourg_Cathedral&oldid=1090280634, 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France, Roman Catholic churches completed in 1439, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles needing cleanup from October 2021, Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from October 2021, Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from October 2021, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Articles with MusicBrainz place identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, First Emperor Window: HENRICUS REX (presumably, Fourth Emperor Window: KAROLUS D[ic]C[tu]S MARTEL PATER BIPPINI (, Fifth Emperor Window: LOTHARIUS ROMANORUM IMPERATOR (. Above this is a colourful clock with the signs of the zodiac. The windows are devoted to nine Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Portal of Saint Lawrence (North transept). [30], Notre Dame of Strasbourg turned into a Temple of Reason during the French Revolution, Strasbourg cathedral in 1837 with an optical telegraph, Strasbourg and the cathedral in 1869 (photo by Charles David Winter[fr]), Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, on 2 November 1789, all church property was seized by the French state and was soon vandalised by the most ardent revolutionaries, the Enrags. A statue on the west side of the pillar represents a famed preacher contemporary with the cathedral; Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg (d. 1510); a small sculpture along the railing of the stairs depicts Geiler's dog, mourning his master on steps of the pulpit where he once preached. [29][30] The building of the second tower was often discussed, and was seriously proposed when Alsace became part of Germany after the 1871 French-German War in 1871, but was coldly received by the population of Strasbourg, who considered it would be a symbol of German occupation.[31]. [44] On 1 March 1941, General Leclerc made the "Oath of Kufra" (serment de Koufra), stating he would "rest the weapons only when our beautiful colours fly again on Strasbourg's cathedral". [17], The Romanesque chevet of the cathedral, seen in 1671, Romanesque pillars, vaults and squinches of the transept, The Romanesque choir, with 19th c. Neo-Byzantine frescos, In 1002, following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, a battle broke out between his potential successors. The portals are set forward from the front of the church by the network of slender columns, spires and arches which form an outer decorative wall. The currently visible, much higher crossing dome was designed in grand Romanesque Revival style by the architect Gustave Klotz, after the original dome had been heavily damaged by Prussian shelling during the Siege of Strasbourg. In 1505, architect Jakob von Landshut and sculptor Hans von Aachen finished rebuilding the Saint-Lawrence portal (Portail Saint-Laurent) outside the northern transept in a markedly post-Gothic, early-Renaissance style. Each pillar bundles sixteen smaller columns, of which five reach upward to support the vaults overhead. [9] The Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, a municipal museum located in the Foundation's buildings, displays original works of art from the cathedral, such as sculptures and stained-glass, but also the surviving original medieval buildings plans.

It was called the Dreiknigsuhr ("three-king clock"), and was located at the opposite wall from where today's clock is. Construction of the new cathedral began on the foundations of the preceding structures. A pointed arch frames the window, and a row of blind arches at the lower level completes the decoration. The statues in the portals are all standing upon realistically carved capitals decorated with the signs of the zodiac. The pulpit itself, in the form of a very ornate corbeille or basket, is entirely covered with colonettes, gables, pinnacles, and niches filled with sculpture, including images of Christ on the cross, a crowned Virgin Mary, Apostles, the Crucifixion, and well as Kings and doctors of the Church. A gallery of statues of the Apostles, each in his own arch, is placed above the rose window. After the annexation of the city by Louis XIV of France, on 30 September 1681, and a mass celebrated in the cathedral on 23 October 1681 in presence of the king and prince-bishop Franz Egon of Frstenberg,[33] the cathedral was returned to the Catholics and its inside redesigned according to the Catholic liturgy of the Counter-Reformation. Under Charlemagne, the Bishop Remi consecrated the altar and built a funeral crypt in about 778. The two rose windows above are later, from the 14th century, with vegetal designs. In October 1988, when the city celebrated its 2,000th anniversary (as the first official mention of Argentoratum dates from 12 BC), pope John Paul II visited and celebrated mass in the cathedral. These include some of the original statues from the portals and faade dating from the 13th century, including the statues of "The Church" and "The Synagogue" from the portal of the south transept. The octagon tower was begun in 1399 by Ulrich von Ensingen (chief architect until 1419), and crowned with a spire by his successor Johannes Hltz. Above this is a flamboyant Gothic balustrade with an original sundial from about 1493, and above that are two small rose windows from the same period. It also preserves the earliest plans of the cathedral, as well as paintings and tapestries and other objects. [26][27][28], The octagonal north tower was the combined work of architects Ulrich Ensingen (shaft) and Johannes Hltz of Cologne (top). The first stone was placed on May 25, 1277, by Bishop Conrad of Lichtenberg. The tympanum was destroyed in the French Revolution and replaced by a work by the sculptor Jean Vallastre[fr] (17651833). They were commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu for the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, and were made to accompany a painting there, "The Vow of Louis XIII". In the south transept, the lancet and oculus windows in the two large bays on the east, built in 12201227, are modelled after those in the lower choir of Chartres Cathedral. [61], Lower portion of octagonal tower and spire, The octagonal tower and spire (remote view), The cathedral was originally intended to have two towers on the west front, but only the north one was built. The nave and choir were composed of three vessels, each with two traverses. On the south side of the nave, the upper walls have windows depicting female saints, including local saints from Alsace or Strasbourg. LMENTS POUR UNE RPONSE", Les grandes dates de lhistoire de la Cathdrale de Strasbourg, "1439 1527: Strasbourg, loge suprme du Saint-Empire romain germanique", "Strasbourg Cathedral and the French Revolution (17891802)", "1906-1926: Consolidation des fondations du pilier de la tou", "CLBRATION DANS LA CATHDRALE DE NOTRE-DAME STRASBOURG HOMLIE DU PAPE JEAN-PAUL II Samedi, 8 octobre 1988", "Sculpture - Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame", "L'histoire de la sculpture de saint Arbogast", "Die Skulpturen am Sdquerhausportal des Straburger Mnsters. [21] From 1341 until 1372 (or according to other sources: 13391371), the post of chief architect was held by a Master Gerlach (not to be confused with Erwin's other son, Gerlach von Steinbach, architect of the Niederhaslach Church),[22] who has been identified as Erwin's grandson Johannes Gerlach von Steinbach. Decrees of the Emperor rendering justice were traditionally read out in front of this doorway. A large arched bay occupies the central portion, just below a balustrade. [8], Animated mechanical figure of Samson and a lion. The capitals of the columns are decorated with dragons and other mythical creatures. The more recent one is under the transept, from about 1150, and the older one, under the apse, was built in about 1110 to 1120. These windows date to about 1345. Like the city of Strasbourg, the cathedral connects German and French cultural influences, while the eastern structures, e.g. It is separated from the nave by two massive pillars, 8.5 by 5 meters, which support the tower above. The level above displays a group of mechanical chariots, with allegorical figures representing the days of the week, which move daily to bring to the front the current day of the week. The upper windows at Strasbourg fill the entire space between the triforium and the vaults. Christianity was first imposed in 313 by the Edict of Constantine. [8], The nave is dominated by the two rows of massive pillars. It rises in three levels; the portals on the ground level; the level of the rose window above them, and the top level, with a balustrade. While previous faades were certainly drawn prior to construction, Strasbourg has one of the earliest faades whose construction is inconceivable without prior drawing. It was decorated with paintings by the Swiss painter Tobias Stimmer. It is composed of an octagonal pillar surrounded by four engaged columns, which reach upwards to support the vaults, and four slender colonettes. An additional element of decoration is given by the small sculpted, painted, and gilded heads on the keystones of the vaults, where the ribs meet. Recht, Roland; Foessel, Georges; Klein, Jean-Pierre: Learn how and when to remove this template message, Al-Qaeda plot to bomb the adjacent Christmas market, St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg, "Architecture et sculpture gothiques: cathdrale de Strasbourg (1)", "Prodige du gigantesque et du dlicat (translation)", "Chronologie des fouilles archologiques", "17. The painted figures on the wall represent fathers of the church and founders of religious orders, depicted in Byzantine style. They were purchased by the Chapter of Strasbourg Cathedral in 1739, and were an example of the importation of the French style of that period into Alsace. [67], The spire above the tower is composed of eight stages of elaborate octagonal structure, linked together by interlaced arches and pinnacles, which contain a stairway to the lantern at the top. [40], In 1903, the architect Johann Knauth discovered cracks on the first pillar of the northern side of the nave. These include an old bell made by Jean Rosier and Cesar Bonbon (1691). It was constructed beginning in about 1330, following the rebuilding of the transept. [85], Statue of Virgin and a processional banner, in the Chapel of St. Andrew, The Chapel of Saint Andrew is on the southeast side, to the right of the apse. [41][42], During World War II, the cathedral was seen as a symbol for both warring parties. At the same time, the planned two spires on either side of the facade would reach an extraordinary height of 122 meters. A Romanesque portal opens to the cloister outside. At Strasbourg it is 61.5 metres (202ft) long and 16 metres (52ft) wide, not counting the two collateral aisles, which are each 10.41 metres (34.2ft) wide. The roof was set afire and the cross at the top of the spire was bent by a German artillery shell. A paleochristian church or cathedral is believed to have been founded by an edict of Clovis I, but its exact location and appearance is unknown. Figures of two reclining women hold a cadran (clock face) between them which tells the minutes. Other moving figures include a trumpet player carrying a banner and a pretzel vendor being offered flour, water, and salt by the caryatides on the console. It is in a Neo-Byzantine style, with Christ in a red frame in the center. This was then carried out in the south transept. Above this are blind arcades, an ornate cornice, and then a pointed roof with a pair of dormer or skylight windows, a small window above a large one, on each side, which brought light to the choir below. The outgoing 15th century was marked by the sermons of Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg and by the emerging Protestant Reformation, represented in Strasbourg by figures such as John Calvin, Martin Bucer and Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck. Klotz's dome was in turn heavily damaged by bombing raids during World War II, and restored between 1988 and 1992. The construction of the cathedral, which had started in the year 1015 and had been relaunched in 1190, was finished in 1439.[6]. [81], The man on the balustrade (south transept). [50], The restoration of the tower was completed in 2006, and in 2014 a new campaign of restoration was begun on the south transept. [86], Original wimperg of the faade in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, Original statues of the Tempter, the foolish Virgins and the wise Virgins from the right faade portal, Bust (ca. The chapel contains the tomb of Bishop Conrad de Lichtenberg, made between 1310 and 1320, and now framed by flamboyant tripe arch. A door opens from the chapel to an adjoining cloister behind the cathedral. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely considered[2][3][4][5] to be among the finest examples of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. This enormous bell was installed but cracked shortly afterwards. [57] Following their destruction during the French Revolution, several of the sculptures have been replaced in the 19th century by works by Philippe Grass,[58] Jean-tienne Malade,[59] and Jean Vallastre. [85], The cathedral has two Romanesque crypts, the oldest parts of the cathedral. [82], Multiple faces of the clock -stars and hours, One face of the clock -signs of the zodiac, The astronomical clock, located in the south transept, is one of the most famous features of the cathedral. Above this level is a celestial globe in a sky of painted stars which makes a complete revolution every 23 hours, fifty-six minutes and four seconds. Each holds a sceptre in his right hand and an orb in the left hand, symbols of their responsibility as both sovereigns and religious figures. [72], The creation of Adam and Eve (Narthex) (12801345), The lower bay on the south has stained glass windows that depict the Last Judgement, while the north bay windows illustrate twelve episodes from the Book of Genesis, including the creation of Adam and Eve, the original sin, the expulsion from Paradise, and Noah's ark. It was originally made in 1498 by Nicolas Roder for the cemetery of Saint-Thomas, and was based on engravings by Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Drer. The new building, with its wooden roof beams, was unfortunately prone to fire; it suffered from fires in 1136, 1140,1150, and 1176. The choir was given its multicolour painted decoration, by douard Steinl and Charles Auguste Steinheil, finished in 1879. The wicked attempt, without success, to seduce the noble Virgins, but succeed with the foolish virgins. [84], The stained glass window in the axis of the apse depicts the Virgin of Alscace. Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or Cathdrale de Strasbourg, German: Liebfrauenmnster zu Straburg or Straburger Mnster), also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. It is still in place.[86]. [18], The new church was exceptionally large, just ten meters shorter than the present cathedral, and just ten meters narrower on its west front. In the late Middle Ages, the city of Strasbourg had managed to liberate itself from the domination of the bishop and to rise to the status of Free Imperial City. This is also true for Ecclesia and Synagoga, arguably the most famous statues of the cathedral, if not of Strasbourg. [60], As with all the other portals, several of the statues have been replaced by copies in situ and are today displayed in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame. Johann Knauth, le sauveur de la cathdrale", "Les rcentes fouilles de Strasbourg (19471948), leurs rsultats pour la chronologie d'Argentorate", "Dcouverte majeure sous la cathdrale: un bassin antique serait la premire piscine baptismale de Strasbourg", "Des lgionnaires romains aux btisseurs de la cathdrale: la fouille de la place du Chteau Strasbourg", "1340 1371: Construction de la chapelle Sainte-Catherine et de la tour nord", "LA CATHDRALE DE STRASBOURG CATHDRALE FRANAISE? It is one of the oldest parts of the cathedral, constructed in about 1170 and then rebuilt in Gothic style in 1230, with the same height as the adjoining nave. The four bells in the octagon tower are rung on the hour. [37] [67], The Klotz designed crossing dome over the transept, The crossing dome being built, 1878 or 1879, Romanesque vaults beneath the Klotz crossing dome. [56], Lintel decoration Mary ascends to Heaven, Ecclesia and Synagoga among other statues from the cathedral in the Muse de l'uvre Notre-Dame, The south portal, or Portal of the Virgin, dates to about the 1220s, the same time as the Pillar of the Angels and the Astronomic clock in the interior. [38], Seven church bells were removed and melted down to made into cannon, and gold and other precious objects in the interior confiscated and taken away, and in November 1793 the cathedral was formally proclaimed a "Temple of Reason. The two lower lancet windows were put together in the 19th century out of glass from different centuries. [82] Other parts of the vaults are upheld by Atlantes, supports in the form of human figures. This artifact was later kept in the historical collections of the city until they were all destroyed during the Siege of Strasbourg in a massive fire in August 1870. The tower was saved, however, when in May of the same year citizens of Strasbourg crowned it with a giant tin Phrygian cap of the kind the Enrags themselves wore. [83], The central tower is composed of three levels. [79]. In height to the vaults it is 32.616 metres (107.01ft). The meeting points between the columns and the vault ribs is decorated with vegetal sculpture.