Fritzlar Cathedral of St Peter

Around 723 the missionary Boniface felled a mighty oak near Geismar that was sacred to the Germanic god Donar, and used its wood to build a chapel dedicated to St Peter. The town of Fritzlar grew out of this foundation, and on that spot now stands Fritzlar Cathedral of St Peter. With its two west towers, the Romanesque basilica is one of the most important buildings in northern Hesse, historically and architecturally. Since 2004 it has held the title of minor basilica.

History: from Donar's Oak to cathedral

Nobody knows exactly where Donar's Oak stood. Tradition names two places: nearby Geismar, now part of the town, and Fritzlar itself. Around 732 Boniface also founded a Benedictine monastery here, with St Wigbert as its first abbot. Fritzlar became a stage for major events in the empire, and in 919 Henry I was elected king here. In 1079 troops of the anti-king Rudolf of Swabia destroyed the town and church.

Today's building goes back to a three-aisled basilica begun around 1085/1090. The west block with its towers and the crypt beneath the choir date from this period. When the Archbishop of Mainz found the church in poor condition in 1171, he ordered an extensive rebuild. Builders from Worms brought the Rhineland Romanesque style to northern Hesse. The roof truss over the choir is still original, its timber felled in 1193.

A dark day came on 7 December 1868: during mass a storm gust tore down the dilapidated spire of the south tower, debris smashed through the vault and 21 people died. Afterwards both towers were given the matching diamond-shaped spires you see today.

What to see

• The Paradise: The porch in front of the west façade was built after 1253 in the transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic. No one has yet convincingly interpreted its figured capitals. The hall also served as a court.
• The crypt: The three-aisled main crypt from the late 11th century survives intact. It houses the Gothic shrine of St Wigbert from 1340.
• The apse: From outside, look at the polygonal apse with its dwarf gallery, which served as a model for St Paul's Church in Worms.
• Inside: The Gothic sacrament house, a 12th-century Romanesque relief of St Peter holding his key, and stained glass by Otto Linnemann from 1914 to 1926.
• The cloister: It was finished by 1323 at the latest. The former chapter buildings now house the treasury and the cathedral library.

Treasury and cathedral museum

In the cloister, the cathedral museum displays paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects from the Middle Ages to the present. Its best-known piece is the Heinrichskreuz, a Romanesque jewelled cross and one of the most important works of medieval goldsmithing in Germany. Tradition says Emperor Henry II gave it to the chapter, but dates for its making range from 1020 to around 1100. Parts of the old chapter library survive in the cathedral library.

Visiting and timing

Half an hour is enough for the church and crypt; with the museum and cloister allow an hour and a half. Since the interior restoration of 2010–2012 there has been step-free access. The Catholic parish of Fritzlar publishes opening hours and tours for the museum and treasury on its website, so check before you go.

Around the cathedral

With its two towers the cathedral rises above the roofs of Fritzlar's old town, so a stroll through the lanes is a natural follow-on. In front of the west façade a statue recalls Boniface, and together with the towers it makes a good photo. To trace the founding story, head to the district of Geismar, one of the two places named for Donar's Oak.