Minden Cathedral

The cathedral has been the centre of the city of Minden for 1200 years and is also home to an active Catholic community.

Charlemagne founded the diocese of Minden in 799. The first cathedral was built as a simple hall church with a rectangular choir. The subsequent building with a three-aisled nave had an east transept and a choir with a crypt.

In the 10th century, the cathedral was given a central westwork. The devastating city fire in 1062 also destroyed the cathedral, although it was already rebuilt in 1071. The shape of the west building with the central section, which was raised by side towers, was created in the 12th century.

The Gothic hall with its rich tracery windows was built from the middle of the 13th century. This is the form in which the cathedral has survived to this day.
Around the cathedral was the cathedral immunity with monastery, bishop's palace and farm buildings.
This area was separated from the town by a wall until the High Middle Ages. The cathedral was badly destroyed in the Second World War. It was rebuilt in 1948-57 according to plans by the Berlin architect Werner March.