Münster zu Allerheiligen (All Saints Cathedral)

Münster zu Allerheiligen (All Saints Cathedral) Review

This beautiful cathedral, along with its cloister and grounds, dominates the lower city. Founded in 1049, the original cathedral was dedicated in 1064, and the larger one that stands today was built in 1103. Its interior has been restored to Romanesque austerity with a modern aesthetic (hanging architect's lamps, Scandinavian-style pews). The cloister, begun in 1050, combines Romanesque and later Gothic elements. Memorial plates on the inside wall honor noblemen and civic leaders buried in the cloister's central garden. You'll also pass through the aromatic herb garden, so beautiful that you may feel you've stepped into a tapestry.

The centerpiece of the main courtyard, the cathedral's enormous Schiller Bell was cast in 1486; it hung in the tower of the cathedral until 1895. Its inscription, "vivos—voco/mortuos—plango/fulgura—frango" ("I call the living, mourn the dead, stop the lightning"), allegedly inspired the German poet Friedrich von Schiller to write his "Lied von der Glocke" ("Song of the Bell").