Website www.ulmer-muenster.de Height 162 m | ||
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Similar Cologne Cathedral, Wiblingen Abbey, Stadthaus Ulm, Ulmer Rathaus, Strasbourg Cathedral | ||
ulm minster germany hd
Ulm Minster (German: Ulmer Münster) is a Lutheran church located in Ulm, Germany. It is the tallest church in the world, and the 4th tallest structure built before the 20th century, with a steeple measuring 161.5 metres (530 ft).
Contents
- ulm minster germany hd
- The tallest cathedral in the world the magnificent ulm minster germany
- Construction
- World War II
- Modern
- Works of art
- Measurements
- References
Although sometimes referred to as Ulm Cathedral because of its great size, the church is not a cathedral as it has never been the seat of a bishop. Though the towers and all decorative elements are of stone masonry, attracting the attention of visitors, most of the walls, including the façades of the nave and choir, actually consist of visible brick. Therefore, the building is sometimes referred to as a brick church. As such, it lays claim to the rank of second- to fourth-largest, after San Petronio Basilica in Bologna and together with Frauenkirche in Munich and St. Mary's Church in Gdańsk.
Ulm Minster was begun in the Gothic era but not completed until the late 19th century. Nevertheless, all of the church except the towers and some outer decorations was complete, unlike Cologne Cathedral, where less than half of the work had been done, when it ceased.
768 steps lead to the top of the minster's spire. At 143 m (469 ft) there is a panoramic view of Ulm in Baden-Württemberg and Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and, in clear weather, a vista of the Alps from Säntis to the Zugspitze. The final stairwell to the top (known as the third Gallery) is a tall, spiraling staircase that has barely enough room for one person.
The tallest cathedral in the world the magnificent ulm minster germany
Construction
In the 14th century, the parish church of Ulm was located outside the walled city. The burghers of Ulm decided to erect a new church within the perimeters of the city and to finance the costs of building it. In 1377 the foundation stone was laid. The first plan was to build a stepped hall church with aisles as wide and almost as high as the central nave. The building should have a main spire on the west and two steeples above the choir.
In 1392 Ulrich Ensingen (associated with Strasbourg Cathedral) was appointed master builder. It was his plan to make the western church tower the tallest spire, which it remains at the present day. As an optical counterweight to the tower, he alterd the plan by building a basilica with a central nave much higher – higher than the choir already built.
The church, consisting of the longitudinal naves and the choir, covered by a temporary roof, was consecrated in 1405. However, the heavy vaults of the wide aisles and the high nave burdened the columns with too much lateral force at different heights. To avoid structural damage, the vaults of the aisles were demolished and replaced by vaults of half widths, which afforded rows of additional columns dividing each of the aisles in two.
In a referendum in 1530/31, the citizens of Ulm converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. Ulm Minster became a Lutheran church. Although as large as many cathedrals, Ulm is not a cathedral, as the responsible bishop of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg – member of the Evangelical Church in Germany – resides in Stuttgart.
In 1543 construction work was halted at a time when the steeple had reached a height of some 100 metres (330 ft). The halt in the building process was caused by a variety of factors which were political and religious (the Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, the War of the Spanish Succession) as well as economic (the discovery of the Americas in 1492 and of the sea route to India in 1497, leading to a shift in trade routes and commodities). One result was economic stagnation and a steady decline, preventing major public expenditure.
In 1817 the frescos inside were covered by painting the walls grey. In 1844 the work of construction was reactivated. After a phase of repairs lasting until 1856, the central nave was stabilized by the addition of flying buttresses. Then the small steeples beside the choir were built – without medieval plans. At last, the main steeple was completed, changing the available medieval plan in making it about ten metres taller. Finally, on 31 May 1890 the building was completed.
World War II
A devastating air raid hit Ulm on 17 December 1944, which destroyed virtually the entire town west of the church to the railway station and north of the church up to the outskirts. The church itself was barely damaged. However, almost all the other buildings of the town square (Münsterplatz) were severely hit and some 80% of the medieval centre of Ulm was destroyed.
Modern
Urination is degrading the foundation of Ulm Minster. The sandstone is worn down due to urination by men. Failed attempts at stopping the urination include more patrols and fines.