The grandiose building, decorated with a huge dome, can be seen from afar. The Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) rises in the heart of the capital of Germany, next to the famous sights of the city. The ornate façade and impressive interiors are a real treat for the eyes. Built as a court church of the ruling Hohenzollern dynasty, this functioning temple is now a stronghold of the Protestant faith throughout Germany.
Construction history
The history of the Berlin Cathedral dates back to 1465, when the construction of the parish church began on the banks of the Spree River. At the beginning of the 19th century, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the genius of German architecture, rebuilt the existing temple, creating an austere neoclassical building, characterized by simplicity of form and minimalism. But at the turn of the century, the tastes of Germany's rulers changed.
Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm II decided that the rather modest Schinkel Cathedral no longer met the requirements of the monarchy and ordered the erection of a new luxurious building, which, according to the ambitious emperor, was to become the main evangelical (Protestant) monastery in Europe. The construction was entrusted to the architect and professor at the Technical University of Charlottenburg, Julius Karl Raschdorf, whose project was approved by the King of Prussia. In 1893 the old building was demolished.
The construction of the new temple, which became the Berlin answer to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, began on June 17, 1894. Having allocated 11.5 million marks from the treasury, Wilhelm II expected that the court church of the Hohenzollerns would open its doors as early as 1900. However, the plans of the emperor were not destined to come true – the Berlin Cathedral was consecrated only in February 1905. The height of the massive baroque building with elements of the Italian Renaissance was 114 meters.
Post-war state and restoration
During World War II, air raids severely damaged the building. The corner towers were covered with cracks, all the altar windows were broken. On May 24, 1944, an incendiary bomb hit the dome. The wood paneling immediately ignited. Arriving firefighters could not get to the source of the fire – the lantern crowning the building fell into the interior and destroyed the floor, damaging the decoration and most of the Hohenzollern crypt.
After the split of Germany in 1949, the remains of the former architectural masterpiece ended up on the side belonging to the GDR. However, the authorities were in no hurry to restore the temple. Everything went to the fact that the stronghold of the Protestant faith was waiting for the fate of the Kaiser Palace located opposite, blown up in 1950. Until 1975, the gloomy ruins, with a steel frame instead of a dome, were reflected in the waters of the nearby Spree. Only a few rooms were used by the church parish and the theological faculty of Humboldt University.
Help came from ideological opponents – most of the funds for the restoration were provided by the government of Germany and the community of the Western Lutheran Church. The first service in the restored sanctuary, which turned out to be 16 meters lower than the previous one, took place in 1993. The gilded cross appeared on the dome only on August 19, 2008. 700 thousand euros were spent on its manufacture and construction. The remains of the old cross can be seen in the parish of the cemetery located on Liesenstrasse (Liesenstrasse Street).
architectural features
Like all baroque buildings, the Berlin Cathedral is characterized by spatial scope, scale and the desire for grandeur. The structure made of Silesian granite has a square shape. Its height after reconstruction is 98 m. A staircase leads to the main entrance. Above it is an arched portal, in the center of which a picture depicting the appearance of Jesus attracts the eye. Even higher are the cross and the statue of the Savior, blessing the parishioners with a gesture.
On the sides of the facade, replete with many bas-reliefs, balustrades, columns and statues, rise two small chapels. They are decorated with pediments, sculptures of the apostles and crowned with domes. In the northwest tower there is a three-voiced bell, consisting of three bells of different sizes. The largest of them – New Vilsnak – weighs three tons. It was cast in 1929 and is a replica of its predecessor, made in 1471 and crashed in 1921.
The majestic dome with a diameter of 33 m and a height of 74.8 m around the entire perimeter surrounds a side on which angels looking at the sky are located at the same distance from each other. Their brass figures were installed between 1978 and 1981. The lantern on the dome crowns the cross. 1.5 kg of gold was spent on its coating. Those of you who are not intimidated by climbing 270 steps can climb to the observation deck located on the dome gallery and enjoy views of the Museum Island, the Gendarmenmarkt, the Reichstag and the Red Town Hall.
Interiors
Unlike other Protestant churches, which feature simplicity and modesty of design, the interiors of the main cathedral of Berlin amaze with luxury and opulent decoration. The main part of the interior is occupied by benches for parishioners, designed for 1,650 visitors. Light enters the church through stained glass windows. Many of them adorn scenes from the New Testament by the German painter Anton von Werner. Additional lighting is provided by lamps in the form of candelabra.
Opposite the entrance is the central part of the cathedral – the altar area raised by a five-step staircase. The sanctuary of white marble and onyx was created in 1850 by the Prussian architect Friedrich August Stüler and transferred to the Berlin Cathedral from the church destroyed in 1893. Behind the altar rise the gilded Apostolic Gate, framed on both sides by massive cast-iron candelabra. Behind them is a white baptismal font.
Nearby is a carved wooden pulpit topped with a golden cross, designed by Otto Raschdorf, the son and associate of the architect of the cathedral. The noble oak is engraved with the saying “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” The walls are covered with bas-reliefs, paintings, mosaics and quotations from Holy Scripture. At the base of the dome is an image of the symbol of the Holy Spirit – a dove filled with light.
On the left side of the temple, a musical masterpiece attracts attention – a neo-baroque organ supported by marble supporting columns with 7,269 pipes and 113 registers. Its author is the brilliant master Wilhelm Sauer. The solemn sounds of the instrument, captivating with the versatility of timbres, first announced the Berlin Cathedral in 1905. Opposite the Sauer organ is a simple vaulted entrance to a small wedding and christening hall. Its main decoration is the painting “The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit” painted in 1820 by Carl Begas and is one of the most important works of art in the cathedral.
Cathedral as a tomb of the Hohenzollerns
The main court church of the ancient Hohenzollern family also serves as a burial place for members of the Franconian branch of the German princely and imperial dynasty, which owned estates in Swabia already in the 11th century. In the niches of the cathedral nave, behind the gratings, there are luxurious sarcophagi shining with gold of the Elector of Brandenburg Friedrich Wilhelm and his wife Dorothea, as well as the tombs by Andreas Schlüter, in which the first king of Prussia, Frederick I, and Sophia Charlotte, the beloved wife of the great Kaiser, found their last refuge.
Going down into the crypt of the cathedral, you will find a vaulted room, illuminated by subdued light. Silence always reigns in it. 90 representatives of the monarchic family are buried here. All styles of art, from late Gothic to Romanticism, are reflected in sarcophagi and coffins made of stone, metal and wood. The oldest burial dates back to 1499. The last member of the imperial family, buried in the crypt in 1915, was the daughter of Prince Adalbert of Prussia, who lived only a few days after birth.
Opening hours and ticket prices
You can visit the Berliner Dom from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 20:00, on holidays and Sundays from 12:00 to 20:00. The last visit is no later than 19:00. During the winter season (from 01.10 to 31.03) the opening hours are reduced by one hour. The temple is active and with the beginning of worship is closed for tourists. However, you can visit it as a parishioner. Don't be surprised if you see a lady at the altar wearing a cassock. In Protestantism, they favor the ordination of women.
Service Schedule:
The daily expenses of the cathedral are about 15,000 euros. Since the state covers these costs for only 1/3, the entrance for tourists is paid:
Every 20 minutes, the excursion program starts, included in the price. You can also use the Russian audio guide service (€ 4). Berlin Cathedral is a Christian denomination, so do not forget about the basic rules of behavior: do not speak loudly and do not wear provocative clothes.
Where is it located and how to get there
Berliner Dom is located on the Museum Island near one of the most famous squares of the metropolis – Alexanderplatz. Address: Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin. You can get here:
When planning a visit to the main church of the city, leave some free time for a walk in the Lustgarten (garden of delight), a park founded in 1573. At that time, its territory was used for growing fruits and herbs, and in 1643 an ornamental garden was laid out here.
Now the Lustgarten is one of the most popular meeting places for residents of the capital. The biggest attraction of the green lawn with a fountain is a 70-ton granite bowl, made from a single piece of stone. Because of its size and shape, the townspeople call it the “Big Berlin Soup Plate”.