Minden Cathedral (St. Gorgonius and St. Peter)

As in many cities, the city of Minden has developed around the cathedral. It is still the center of the city today. The cathedral is an early Gothic hall church and its shape from the 13th century is unique in Germany. When you're in Minden, be sure to take a look inside the church. It is incredibly beautiful and you can learn a lot about its history.

The cathedral was almost completely destroyed in World War II and was rebuilt until 1950. Very impressive are the huge stained glass windows. The famous Minden Cross above the altar is a copy

The Minden Cathedral St. Gorgonius and St. Peter is a Roman Catholic Propsteikirche in the East Westphalian town of Minden in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Minden Cathedral was the episcopal church of the diocese of Minden, founded around 800 by Charlemagne in Minden. The Catholic diocese approached Protestantism as early as the mid-16th century in the Reformation. With the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the diocese was de facto abolished, as was the prince-bishopric of Minden, which originated in the diocese as a spiritual territory. After the abolition of the diocese, the cathedral was given the status of a Roman Catholic parish church, which was raised in 1859 to the Propsteikirche. Today he belongs to the Archdiocese of Paderborn.

Over the centuries, the cathedral grew in architectural history from a simple hall church on a Carolingian-Romanesque basilica with monumental west work to today's Gothic hall church with Romanesque West bar. The bright, high-Gothic nave and its large tracery window were style-defining for a number of later church buildings. For nearly 600 years, the Minden Cathedral remained virtually unchanged, until it was almost completely destroyed in World War II in a bombing of the Old Town on March 28, 1945. In the 1950s, he was rebuilt under the direction of Provost Josef Parensen and the architect Werner March.

Among the most valuable art treasures of the cathedral include the Romanesque Minden Cross from the 11th century and a replica of the Golden Table; The original is owned by the Berlin Bode Museum. In 1168 Bishop Werner von Bückeburg married Henry the Lion and Mathilde of England in Minden Cathedral.

(Https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindener_Dom)