An unassuming small city along the Rhine with a cathedral worthy of UNESCO status!
Speyer, Germany, is not the size of the city you would expect to find a grand cathedral. Most in Germany are found in cities like Cologne and Trier. However, sometimes cities were more important in the Medieval period than they are today, like Aachen. Speyer was the latter, sort of.
Speyer (Noviomagus) grew up around a Roman fort in the 1st century CE. Over the centuries, Speyer continued to play an important part in the area until the 15th century. The town was bustling when the Holy Roman Emperors of the Salian Dynasty chose Speyer to be their final resting place.
In hind sight, I wish I would have spent more time in Speyer than I did. I left so I had time to see something in Mannheim. Honestly, it wasn’t worth it. Stay in Speyer.
Wandering Jana It doesn’t take long to walk from the train station to the city center. There you will find the Altpörtel, one of the old city gates. When Speyer’s first walls were built in the 1000’s, the city was very small. This gate is one of the few remaining bits of the old medieval walls that were destroyed in 1689 during the War of the Palatinate.
Wandering Jana The entire city had to be rebuilt after that war, including part of the cathedral.
Now for the main attraction, the Cathedral of Speyer. It’s the largest Romanesque building still standing. It was also the longest building north of the Alps when it was finished. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of that and the fact its style influence the style of Romanesque throughout Europe. Features often found in Romanesque cathedrals were first installed here at Speyer.
Wandering Jana The front of the church was reconstructed in the 19th century to remove later reconstructions done after the fire in 1889. Luckily, there were some drawings from before the changes. The reconstruction is fairly similar but not exactly the same.
Wandering Jana Obviously a 19th century repair/reconstruction.
Construction on the first cathedral started in 1030ish by Conrad II. Conrad was looking for a grand place to be buried, like the largest church he could build. He never saw his church even remotely finished and was buried in a construction site. His grandson, Henry IV, had what Conrad II built mostly torn down and made even bigger in 1090 (Even though the current cathedral was already one of the largest buildings in Europe). This is even more ridiculous when you consider that Speyer, a small town, had a cathedral that could fit more people in it than in the town. Henry IV was having a bit of a fight with the papacy at the time and was excommunicated. He wouldn’t be able to be buried in his cathedral until 5 years after his death (1106).
Wandering Jana Henry IV’s nave is 5 meters (16 ft) taller than Conrad’s. The new vaulted ceiling allowed for these lovely large clerestory windows.
Wandering Jana Extremely impressive for around 1100 in the middle of a random town in Germany. Many features seen in Speyer Cathedral would continue on in the Gothic style.
Wandering Jana The cathedral didn’t change much from 1106 to the 17th century. Most of that has since been removed.
Wandering Jana Simple, yet gorgeous.
Wandering Jana Went into the little chapel in the photo above and found this really cool window.
Wandering Jana Some of the churches carved decoration still survives.
Wandering Jana I’m wondering if the dome used to have larger windows.
Wandering Jana A two story baptistery.
Wandering Jana The second floor holds a bunch of relics.
Wandering Jana The Crypt is from the first cathedral of Conrad II. Earlier Romanesque was much simpler as seen in the columns.
Wandering Jana The Crypt Chapel has a baptismal font hewn from a single stone.
Wandering Jana The King’s and Queens were buried near the altar. In 1906, a new chapel was built for their remains after they were found under the nave.
Wandering Jana Conrad II is in the middle in the back row. Henry the IV is on the far left, back row. Other Salian kings/Holy Roman emperors were buried here as well. After Henry V dying in 1125, other kings/Holy Roman emperors would be buried here until the end of the 13th century.
Wandering Jana Back upstairs with a giant door.
Wandering Jana Now for more of the exterior. In the 18th century part of the church damaged in 1689 was reconstructed. Weird for the 18th century, they copied the original plans.
Wandering Jana Extremely impressive.
Wandering Jana View from the back.
Wandering Jana Behind the cathedral is the Heidentürmchen, a bit of the Medieval walls.
Wandering Jana A grand building holding the Historical Museum of the Palatinate.
Wandering Jana Across from the cathedral is this very fancy building.
Wandering Jana Not far from the cathedral is the Baroque Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church).
Wandering Jana I wish I could have gone further into the church because it looks really cool.
Wandering Jana I didn’t explore much of Speyer. I wish that I had.
Wandering Jana Some cute bits.
Wandering Jana Ending where we began at the Altpörtel.
Speyer is a small city with a grand cathedral. The cathedral is worth the journey from Mannheim. You might as well, add a good wander around and a museum or two.
Check out my next update where I explore another small German city, Aschaffenburg!
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Start at the beginning of this European adventure!
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Lovely text and great pictures, makes me feel like I must go have a look 😄 Thank you 🙏🏼