Merseburg Cathedral's 1,000th anniversary

The exhibition starts by debunking a legend: Merseburg was not founded by the Romans, like Cologne or Trier. But in the 11th century, it hosted the most important imperial palace in the east of the Holy Roman Empire, an entity comprising Germanic peoples. In 1015, Bishop Thietmar von Merseburg laid the foundation for Merseburg Cathedral, at the behest of Emperor Heinrich II.

Heinrich II was crowned Emperor in 1014 and immediately began expanding the existing Merseburg Church. Today, the city of Merseburg is overshadowed by the nearby cities of Leipzig and Halle on the Saale. But in medieval times, Merseburg had international connections with Scandinavia, Poland, and Bohemia.

130 valuable items from all over Europe are being shown in the special exhibition in the Cathedral and in the neighboring Merseburg Palace Museum. This magnificent liturgical robe from the 12th century is among the exhibits.

There is a legend about the ruby- and pearl-encrusted Holy Mass Chalice from the 15th century: at the Last Judgment, Heinrich II’s good and evil deeds will be weighed. Merseburg’s patron saint of the bishopric, Laurence, is said to have cast this chalice into the balance, thereby saving the ruler from hellfire.

A special highlight is the facsimile of the famous Merseburg magic spells, which are regarded as the oldest written documents of Germanic mythology. They were discovered in 1841 in the library of the Merseburg Cathedral chapter. The spells, which invoke Germanic gods, are probably from the 10th century.

Die HeThe Holy Lance is a copy of the imperial insignia carried by the Germanic rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. It was considered holy because it was supposed to contain a nail or at least shavings from the Holy Cross. It is said to have been used at Heinrich II’s coronation as a king in 1002.

The Merseburg Cathedral has undergone many changes. For example, the famous Ladegast organ was installed in the mid-19th century. It blocked the old angles of view that were familiar and taken for granted during the Reformation period. Now, large-format canvases seem to open up the old views in the cathedral.

Through November, the exhibition in Merseburg Cathedral is showing one of Germany’s most important cathedral structures. It gained worldwide renown when George Clooney shot the film “The Monument’s Men” in it in 2013.