The fabulous Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) which was completed in 1905, is a gorgeous Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque confection built during what is referred to now as the “Kaiserzeit”.
The Imperial German era consisted of the historical German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918, when Germany became a federal republic. During this time, a flowering of art and architecture that reinforced the glory of the German Empire took place.
After dismantling the interior (altar, paintings, sarcophagi), and then demolishing the existing Baroque church structure in 1893, Julius and Otto Raschdorff (father and son) built the present church in the exuberant forms you see today.
Damaged during WWII, the Berliner Dom was restored with a few simplifying modifications to its existing structure.
The Imperial German era consisted of the historical German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918, when Germany became a federal republic. During this time, a flowering of art and architecture that reinforced the glory of the German Empire took place.
After dismantling the interior (altar, paintings, sarcophagi), and then demolishing the existing Baroque church structure in 1893, Julius and Otto Raschdorff (father and son) built the present church in the exuberant forms you see today.
Damaged during WWII, the Berliner Dom was restored with a few simplifying modifications to its existing structure.
Even as you first enter to buy your ticket, you are given a taste of the opulent interior you will be seeing in this magnificent church with a glimpse of the Imperial Staircase. In addition to variously colored marble, a red material (unica) from the Lahn region was used on the staircase to create a splendidly colorful effect.
Via this staircase, the royal couple had access to the Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel and to the Imperial Gallery in the church.
Via this staircase, the royal couple had access to the Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel and to the Imperial Gallery in the church.
Upon entering, the beauty of the space is impressive.
The dome mosaics portray the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount.
The former director of the Academy of Architecture, Anton von Werner, created the designs for the mosaics, which were then installed by the companies Puhl & Wagner and Odorico.
Seven of the eight mosaics were found to be irreparable at the time of the cathedral’s renovation in 1975, but Werner’s designs had survived WWII, and the Tuscan company Ferrari & Bacci used them to reproduce the dome mosaics and restore the dome to its former glory.
The former director of the Academy of Architecture, Anton von Werner, created the designs for the mosaics, which were then installed by the companies Puhl & Wagner and Odorico.
Seven of the eight mosaics were found to be irreparable at the time of the cathedral’s renovation in 1975, but Werner’s designs had survived WWII, and the Tuscan company Ferrari & Bacci used them to reproduce the dome mosaics and restore the dome to its former glory.
The Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel. The altarpiece, “The Descent of the Holy Ghost”, was painted by Carl Begas the Elder as commissioned by King Frederick William III in 1820.
The chapel organ was built in 1946 by the Potsdam company, Alexander Schuke. It was the first instrument produced there after the Second World War
While the church is in use, and referred to as a “cathedral”, the Berlin Cathedral does not actually meet the definition since it has never been the seat of a bishop. The bishop of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg, to which the Berliner Dom belongs, is based at St. Mary’s Church and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.
The main altar, which was saved from the previous cathedral, is the work of Friedrich August Stuller, dating from 1820.
Behind the altar stands the Apostle Wall, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Originally bronze, this choir screen is now completely gilded and separates off the baptismal area.
The main altar, which was saved from the previous cathedral, is the work of Friedrich August Stuller, dating from 1820.
Behind the altar stands the Apostle Wall, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Originally bronze, this choir screen is now completely gilded and separates off the baptismal area.
The pulpit is a work of oak woodcarving designed by Otto Raschdorff, the son of Julius Raschdorff
The organ is the work of Wilhelm Sauer.. At the time of its dedication in 1905, the organ was the largest in Germany, with its 7269 pipes and 113 registers and represents the largest late-Romantic organ that has survived in its original condition.
The Sarcophagi of Friedrich I, Emperor in Germany and his wife Sophie Charlotte as well as other Hohenzollern notables are in the main cathedral and are spectacular sculptural works of art.
The large crypt for the Hohenzollern imperial family is located beneath the cathedral floor and contains over 90 richly decorated sarcophagi representing five hundred years of Brandenburg-Prussian burials from the end of the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th century.
The Cathedral Museum which is in a gallery upstairs presents drawings, designs, and models from the history of the planning and building of the Cathedral of Berlin.
You can also access the Royal Balcony from this stairway and take in the cathedral from a different perspective. While we decided against it, if you are up to it, the stairs continue up to the dome’s outer walkway where you can take in an amazing view of Berlin.
The Berliner Dom is located on Museum Island in the Mitte borough next to the Spree river and is one of the gems of Berlin that should not be missed!
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