2015-04-29 Basel, Basler Münster, Schweiz

Architectural History
The complicated construction history of the Minster spans more than 500 years.
Previous buildings
The Cathedral Hill was already in the late Celtic period (1st century BC. BC.) Built. Archaeological excavations have a pre-Roman Wall (murus gallicus) exposed. In addition to the door systems can reconstruct the former street for some. Parted the street at the site of the present cathedral and led around a building, presumably a street temple was. Later, the Romans built on the Cathedral Hill a fort.
The exact origins of the Cathedral are unclear. The original Carolingian church, the so-called Haito Minster was, in the first half of the 9th century (805-823) build by the Basel bishop Haito, abbot of the monastery of Reichenau on Lake Constance. The plan of the cathedral is archaeological evidence. Probably was the Haito construction of a hall, several adjoining rooms on the long side and two round towers on the west side. The striking West game resulted in a curved road course, which is still the case today, if you look from the Rittergasse moved to Münster. From the chapel from the south led by the Bishop's Palace - the Palatium or Pfalz. As the Church has looked to the east, is not assured. One thing is certain, however, that the Haito-building over a crypt beneath the chancel decreed. Also on the equipment nothing remains.
In his time the Haito- was Dom an unusual structure, since began to implement at this time tree schiffige designs’ for churches. Since the construction of a hall church was, he followed an old-fashioned style, on the other hand was one of the twin towered facade of the earliest of its kind. In the year 917 the Haito Minster was the Hungary storm affected. How difficult was the damage to the church, is not entirely clear.
Second building, Heinrich Münster
On the foundation of the previous building was after the turn of the millennium Bishop Adalberto II. A Ottonisch - early Romanesque building construction. The name of the three-nave Cathedral Heinrich Münster (sometimes called Adalberto-Dom) is based on its conveyor, Emperor Heinrich II. He and his wife Gwendolyn were regarded as the city patrons and enjoyed special veneration. Ecclesiastical but the cathedral was a St. Mary's Church. In 1006, the hoch burgundische Basel came into Henry's possession. City Men in Basel was deputizing for the emperor, the bishop.
This consecrated in 1019 construction had not advanced crypt what Excavations from 1973-74. Towards the end of the 11th century was built on the west side of a tower made ​​of light limestone and molasses - sandstone. These buildings is preserved to this day and forms the lower part of today's North Tower (Georg Sturm). A tower in the south did not have Henry's cathedral.
Third Construction, late Romanesque construction.
The present building is mainly due to the late Romanesque previous construction from the last third of the 12th century (1180-1220 / 30). On the ground plan of a previous building a developed transept extended three-nave church. Mighty pillars bundles contributed to build, while the destroyed Basel earthquake in 1356, the five towers, vaults and several parts of the crypts. Under the architect Johannes (Parler) of Gmünd, at the same time Münster Baumeister from Freiburg / Br. was partially destroyed church was rebuilt, and already in 1363 was the high altar to be consecrated again. In 1414 designed Ulrich von Ensingen, the builder of the cathedral towers of Ulm and Strasbourg, which plans to expand the northern Georg storm; 1428. This was completed The southern Martin Sturm, however, was on 23 July 1500 by Hans von Nussdorf completed. To this date the cathedral was officially completed. In the 15th century came also the great and the small cloister (→ cloister). Until the Reformation in 1529 the cathedral served as a bishop's cathedral. In the 19th century two major restorations took place. It was from 1852 to 1857 the choir screen was added and the westernmost Vierungs crypt closed. In the 20th century was the main objective of the renovation work, to raise the profile late Romanesque buildings in the foreground, and we made ​​some remodeling measures from the 1850s to reverse. In addition one sat in 1975 the ground level of the Cathedral back to the original state back and made ​​the Vierungs krypta accessible again. Since 1985, a newly opened building workshop devoted to the increasingly deteriorating condition of red sandstone on the exterior of the cathedral.
Other historical events
Papal election at Basler Munster
Pope Martin V. told the Basler government in 1424 that their city as the venue of the next Council had been elected. Between 1431 and 1448 met the Council of Basle in Münster with the main objective to carry out a reform of the church. As in 1438, the then Council President Cesarini at the direction of Pope Eugene IV. Left Basle, was elected a year later on July 24, 1440 Felix V. as anti-pope in the house for Mücke the Basel Cathedral Square. As this could not prevail, prompting the German Emperor Frederick III. The resolution of the council in Basel. After the dissolution of the "Curia University", the citizens tried to establish a new university. By Pope Pius II, who served during the Council as secretary, then it came to adopt the Foundation bull, and so was on April 4, 1460 Basel University to be opened as a comprehensive university.
Iconoclasm of the Minster
The iconoclasm of the Reformation movement brought in 1528 and 1529 the city and the Basel Cathedral by many precious works of art. Many Basler churches were partially stormed during these months of numerous citizens at gunpoint to destroy pictures and statues. The influential reformer Ulrich Zwingli rejected the worship of God in the form of images as idolatry from.
Around 13:00 clock of 9 February 1529 a group of 40 armed men are said to have gone to the cathedral up from densely crowded marketplace. They should be entered into the church, where a clumsy guild brother with a halberd an altarpiece nudged, which fell to the ground and broke. Then the gunmen had left the Munster again to fetch reinforcements. The chaplains closed then the church. With a total of 200 men gathered the enhanced group and blustered against the locked gates of the Cathedral. Finally, they forced their way, smashed and trampled into a frenzy crucifixes, images of Mary and of saints. The mob fell upon the altars, and indulged in a blind destructiveness. Later in the afternoon, the iconoclastic expanded to other churches in Basel.
Erasmus described the iconoclasm to Basel in a letter of 9 May 1529 as follows: STILLS nothing was left unscathed, neither in the churches nor in lobbies or in the cloisters or in the monasteries. What was available of painted frames, was covered with lime; what was combustible, was thrown onto the pyre, which was not, was destroyed piece by piece. Neither value nor art were able, that anything was spared.
The impressive Cathedral Treasury was saved and remained until the canton division intact.
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