Cathedral (Dom)

The High Cathedral of the Virgin Mary is the cathedral of the Diocese of Augsburg as well as the cathedral parish church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Cathedral’s history is documented as far back as 823 AD; it is 113 m (371 ft) long, 40 m (131 ft) wide and the spires are 62 m (203 ft) high.

The crypt under the west choir was constructed in the 10th century under the reign of Bishop Ulrich. Not to be missed are frescoes from the Romanesque and Gothic periods, beautifully painted vaults, and four panels from Hans Holbein the Elder. The windows depicting the prophets Jonas, Daniel, Hosea and Moses are some of the oldest representational stained glass windows in Germany; they date back to the mid-12th century. The magnificent bronze door (ca. 1356) contains 35 relief panels with scenes from the Old Testament.

In the course of the centuries, the Cathedral has been rebuilt countless times, during the course of which many art treasures have been lost. In the last significant renovation of 1863, the Cathedral was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style.

On the plaza in front of the Cathedral stand the remains of the foundation of St. John’s Church (10th c.) and archaeological finds from Roman Augsburg (Roman wall). They belong to the Diocesan Museum, whose collection also includes the Cathedral treasury and further ecclesiastical artworks as well as the original bronze door, the Cathedral’s oldest work of art.