Cathedral of Magdeburg

The history of the cathedral dates back to 937, when Otto the Great founded the St. Maurice Monastery. His first wife, Edith, was buried there in 946, and Otto himself planned Magdeburg as his final resting place. In the 950s, he began a magnificent new construction and had ancient columns and other treasures brought to Magdeburg. In 968, Magdeburg was elevated to an archdiocese. A devastating fire in 1207 destroyed the predecessor building. Archbishop Albrecht I of Käfernburg then laid the foundation stone for the current cathedral in September 1207, which combines elements of late Romanesque and Gothic styles. Construction of the choir began in 1209, and the nave was consecrated in 1363. The completion of the west facade and the towers extended until 1520. During the Reformation, the cathedral became Protestant in 1567. In the Thirty Years' War, Magdeburg was conquered by Tilly's troops in 1631, with the cathedral serving as a refuge. After secularization in 1680, the archdiocese became part of Brandenburg. Under Napoleon, the cathedral temporarily served as a warehouse. Frederick William III of Prussia initiated extensive restorations between 1826 and 1834. In World War II, the cathedral suffered severe damage but was reopened by 1955 and has been continuously restored since then.

Magdeburg Cathedral is located in the city of Magdeburg, in the urban district of Magdeburg, in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It stands at an elevation of approx. 58 m above sea level.

Today, the cathedral serves as the bishop's church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and an Evangelical parish church. It is open for visits and attracts over 100,000 tourists annually. Since 2005, one of the towers has also been accessible for climbing.

• Magdeburg City Fortification-Tatarenturm (City Fortification), approx. 0.1 km away
• Royal City Palace (Palace), approx. 0.1 km away
• Magdeburg City Fortification-Kiek in de Köken (City Fortification), approx. 0.1 km away
• Magdeburg Fortress-Bastion Cleve (Fortress), approx. 0.1 km away