Magdeburg Cathedral, Saxon Anhalt
Photographed in summer, 2015 by James Derheim, European Focus Private Tours
Magdeburg Cathedral (German: Magdeburger Dom), officially called the Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine (German: Dom St. Mauritius und Katharina), is a Lutheran cathedral in Germany and the oldest Gothic cathedral in the country. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Today it is the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. The south steeple is 99.25 m (325 ft 7 in) tall, the north tower 100.98 m (331 ft 4 in), making it one of the tallest cathedrals in eastern Germany. The cathedral is likewise the landmark of Magdeburg, the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, and is also home to the grave of Emperor Otto I the Great and his first wife Edith.
The first church built in 937 at the location of the current cathedral was an abbey called St. Maurice, dedicated to Saint Maurice. The current cathedral was constructed over the period of 300 years starting from 1209, and the completion of the steeples took place only in 1520. Despite being repeatedly looted, Magdeburg Cathedral is rich in art, ranging from antiques to modern art.
- Material and Origin: The font is carved from a single block of deep red porphyry, sourced from the Eastern Desert of Egypt near Aswan/Hurghada.
- History: It is a piece of late antique (Roman) art, likely transported from Ravenna to Magdeburg by Emperor Otto I in the 10th century.
- Original Function: It was originally the lower, inverted portion of a fountain, featuring a distinct hole in the center.
- Placement: It sits at the western end of the cathedral.
- Significance: It serves as a significant example of medieval reuse of ancient, prestigious materials (spolia) in the first Gothic cathedral on German soil.
