Dom St. Marien
About This Site
The Dom St. Marien, Erfurt's cathedral, stands where Bonifatius had a church built around 725; the late Romanesque basilica seen today was begun in 1154 and was still growing two centuries later, when the choir was raised fifteen metres above the square to give it its present, unmistakable silhouette.
A Romanesque basilica, then a Gothic choir, 1154–1372
Construction of the basilica standing today began in 1154:[1] a late Romanesque, three-aisled church with a transept and two towers at the east end. The cathedral kept growing — the north tower was finished in 1237 — and in 1349 the foundation stone was laid for an eastward extension that raised the choir fifteen metres above the Domplatz on a stone substructure, completed around 1370 to 1372.[2] At 81.26 metres, the cathedral is the tallest building on the hill.[2]
The Gloriosa, 1497
In the night of 7 to 8 July 1497 a bell founder cast the Gloriosa above the Domstufen. It has hung in the cathedral ever since, weighing roughly 11,450 kilograms with a diameter of 2,560 millimetres — the largest freely swinging medieval church bell in the world.[2]
The steps between church and city
The Domstufen, the broad flight connecting the Domplatz to the cathedral entrance, are where the Gloriosa was cast and where the cathedral's processions have always met the life of the square below — the same steps a visitor climbs today between the Dom and the Severikirche standing beside it.
Questions visitors ask
- When was the Dom St. Marien built?
- The standing basilica was begun in 1154;[1] a Gothic choir extension, raising the east end fifteen metres above the Domplatz, followed between 1349 and about 1372.[2]
- What is the Gloriosa?
- The bell cast in the night of 7 to 8 July 1497 for the cathedral — at roughly 11,450 kilograms, the largest freely swinging medieval church bell in the world.[2]
- How tall is Erfurt Cathedral?
- 81.26 metres, the tallest building on the Domberg.[2]
- Is there an older church on the same site?
- Yes — Bonifatius had a church built here around 725, the predecessor to the basilica standing today.[1]
Sources
- Dom — Stadt Erfurt, retrieved 30 August 2026
- Erfurter Dom — Wikipedia, retrieved 30 August 2026
Visit Information
Domstufen 1, 99084 Erfurt