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Frankfurt Cathedral, also known as Kaiserdom, is the largest religious building in Frankfurt, Germany. It’s located in the heart of the city center.
Introduction to Frankfurt Cathedral
Frankfurt Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus), was the election church of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356 to 1792, as decreed in the Golden Bull of 1356 issued by Charles IV. It was also the coronation church from 1562 until the last emperor, Francis II. Despite its name, it was never a cathedral, rather a collegiate church from 852 to 1803.
The first church on the site was a small chapel built around 680 for a Merovingian royal court. The chapel was enlarged in 794 to host the Council of Frankfurt and belonged to the Carolingian royal palace. It was replaced by the Savior’s Church, which was consecrated on September 1, 852, and was re-dedicated to St. Bartholomew in 1239. His skull is kept in the church.
The current Gothic structure was built between 1250 and 1514. It has remained Catholic throughout its history, except for two short periods after the Reformation began in Frankfurt: 1533-1548 and 1631-1635. The church was secularized in 1803 and became a parish church owned by the city.
In 1867, the Frankfurt Cathedral was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in its current form by Franz Josef Denzinger (1821-1894). It suffered serious damage from Allied air raids between October 1943 and March 1944. The most devastating hit occurred on March 22, 1944. It was reconstructed between 1948 and 1953. Further restorations have taken place since.
Features of the Frankfurt Cathedral
The Frankfurt Cathedral is roughly 95 meters (312 feet) long and 40 meters (131 feet) wide. The height of the nave is about 30 meters (98 feet), and it covers an area of roughly 4,800 square meters (51,600 square feet). It’s a hall church with three naves and a long transept.
Tower of the Frankfurt Cathedral
The most notable feature of the building is the tower. It was designed by Madern Gerthener (1360/70-1430), who started its construction in 1415 on the site of the former town hall. Work stopped in 1514 when the tower had reached 72.5 meters.
After the fire in 1867, the tower had to be reconstructed. When it was completed on October 6, 1977, its height had increased to the present 94.8 meters (approximately 312 feet).
Inside the tower are nine bells of varying size. They were cast in Dresden in 1887 by Hermann Große (1848-1912). The largest is the Gloriosa, which weighs 11,950 kilograms and is 258.5 centimeters in diameter. The other bells are the Carolus (4,630 kilograms, 192.4 centimeters); Bartholomäus (2,380 kilograms, 154.7 centimeters); Salveglocke (1,520 kilograms, 129.1 centimeters); Mettenglocke (984 kilograms, 114.7 centimeters); Kleine Uhrglocke (690 kilograms, 102 centimeters); Johannes (552 kilograms, 94.6 centimeters); Zeitglocke (403 kilograms, 85.1 centimeters); and the Kleinste Glocke (276 kilograms, 75.2 centimeters).
South Portal
The south portal of the cathedral was created in 1350/51. It’s crowned with medieval sculptures. The bronze double door was added in 1962. It contains bronze reliefs by Hans Mettel depicting the Prophets of the Old Testament.
North Portal
The north portal, completed in 1350, features sculptures as well as a rose window. The bronze doors, also designed by Hans Mettel, were added in 1965. They depict figures of the Old Testament.
Vestibule
The vestibule, which is the modern entrance to the Frankfurt Cathedral, was added in 1879/80. From there, you can enter the cloister, which now hosts the Frankfurt Cathedral Museum, and the tower hall.
Inside the vestibule is the Altar of the Assumption of Mary, which is the only surviving Baroque altar of the cathedral. It was donated in 1728 by the Italian dean of the cathedral’s abbey, Johann Nikolaus Martinengo.
Tower Hall
After passing through the north portal from the vestibule, you’ll enter the tower hall where there’s a sculpture of the Crucifixion created by Hans Backoffen (c. 1460/75-1519) in 1509. It originally stood in the cathedral cemetery on the north side of the building. A replica was placed in the cemetery in 1919.
Nave of the Frankfurt Cathedral
The Frankfurt Cathedral has a central nave with two aisle separated by six Gothic pillars, three on each side. The nave was originally built between 1250 and 1269 and rebuilt after the 1867 fire between 1869 and 1880
The wall of the left aisle is lined with tombs from the 16th to 18th centuries, including the Bishop of Worms Johannes Karl von und zu Franckenstein (1610-1691). There’s also the spectacular Epitaph for Andreas Hirde, a councilman who died in 1518.
Next to the right aisle is the south aisle, which was added in 1487. It houses an 18th century baptismal font. In the southwest corner is the Neo-Gothic sculpture Pietà, made by Caspar Weis (1849-1930) in 1890. There’s also the 14th-century Wolfgang Chapel (Wolfgangskapelle), which is an antechamber to the confession room.
High Choir of the Frankfurt Cathedral
The High Choir was built between 1315 and 1349. It’s the best-preserved element from the Middle Ages as it was largely spared from the fire in 1867 and the destruction of the Allied bombings in 1944. The crucifix hanging in front was created in the 1720s by Cornelius Andreas Donett (1683-1748). It originally decorated the Church of St. Anthony (Antoniterkirche), which was built in 1236 and demolished in June 1803.
In the center of the choir is the high altar, which was built after World War II by Fr. Johannes Münzenberger (1897-1986). Most of its parts were from a 15th-century Saxon altar. The wings are from Franconia.
Wooden choirs stalls line the walls, which are decorated with scenes of the Resurrection. You’ll also notice the tomb of Günther von Schwarzburg (c. 1304-1349), the only German king buried in Frankfurt. It contains a relief of the king in full armor with a sword and shield, and two lions at his feet. The tomb was erected in 1352 and moved to its current position on the south wall in 1743.
Altars stand at the corners of the choir. To the left is the Apostles’ Farewell Altar (Apostelabschiedsaltar), built in 1523. To the right is the Altar of Our Lady (Liebfrauenaltar), made in southern Germany in the 15th century.
Chapel of the Dormition of the Virgin
At the end of the left aisle and north of the choir is the Chapel of the Dormition of the Virgin (Maria-Schlaf-Kapelle). It’s one of the oldest parts of the cathedral, completed in 1351. It houses an impressive altar built between 1434 and 1438. The walls were decorated in the 19th century and the stained glass windows were installed in 1881.
Chapel of Mary Magdalene
At the end of the right aisle and south of the choir is the Chapel of Mary Magdalene (Magdalenenkapelle), which was built in 1355. It contains a sculpture of the Holy Sepulchre donated in 1435. It was originally at the demolished St. Michael’s Chapel (Michaelskapelle). You’ll also see the tomb of Agostino Steffani (1654-1728), the titular Bishop of Spiga (modern-day Biga, Turkey), who died in Frankfurt while on diplomatic business.
Electors’ Chapel at Frankfurt Cathedral
A narrow portal in the Chapel of Mary Magdalene leads to the Electors’ Chapel (Wahlkapelle). It was built in 1425 and was the site of seven elections of German kings and Holy Roman Emperors between 1493 and 1792. The altarpiece is a triptych of the Passion created in the 15th century. The relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle are kept in a shrine underneath the altarpiece.
Transept of the Frankfurt Cathedral
The transept of the Frankfurt Cathedral is unusually long, which compensates for the short nave. The north transept was built between 1346 and 1353 while the south transept was built between 1352 and 1358. Along the walls you’ll find a collection of impressive altarpieces as well as several tombs.
Altar of St. Anne
The Altar of St. Anne, on the east wall of the north transept, contains a few figures and a relief of the Last Supper dating back to the Late Gothic period. The Neo-Gothic wings were painted in 1898 by Heinrich Nüttgens (1866-1951). On the left side is city historian Johannes Janssen (1829-1891) kneeling in front of St. John the Baptist. The right side depicts Fr. Ernst Münzenberger (1833-1890) with St. Francis of Assisi.
Altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Also on the east wall of the north transept is the Altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was completed by painter Ivo Strigel (1430-1516) in 1505. It was found in 1868 in the parish church of the village of Siat, Switzerland.
Tombs in the North Transept
Several tombs line the west wall of the north transept, with many dating back to the 14th century. Among the most important burials are Rudolf von Sachsenhausen (1318-1371), a knight and supporter of disputed king Günther von Schwarzburg, as well as Mayor Johann von Holzhausen (before 1343-1393) and his wife Guda Goldstein (d. 1371). There are also tombs of members of the House of Thurn und Taxis.
Organs
There are two organs at the Frankfurt Cathedral. The main organ is in the south transept while the choir organ is on the north wall of the choir. Both were built by Klais Orgelbau in 1957 and 1994, respectively.
Frankfurt Cathedral Museum
The Frankfurt Cathedral Museum (Dommuseum Frankfurt) is housed in the Gothic cloister, which dates back to 1414. It opened to the public in 1987 and displays a rich collection of medieval and Baroque ecclesiastical art and artifacts. Admission is €4 for adults, €3 for students age 9+ and holders of the Frankfurt Card, and free for kids under 9 (as of July 2025).
Collection of the Frankfurt Cathedral Museum
Only a very small collection of the treasures of the Frankfurt Cathedral have survived, including gold and silver liturgical items, vestments, and tombstones. The majority of the collection is from the Baroque period.
One of the most important exhibits is a find made in 1991 during excavations in the cathedral. It contains items from the grave of two children buried on the site around 680.
Finally, around the courtyard of the cloister you’ll find a few gravestones from the Frankfurt Cathedral Cemetery.
Climbing the Tower of Frankfurt Cathedral
Don’t miss the chance to climb up the tower of Frankfurt Cathedral for incredible views of the city. Admission is €3 for adults, €2 for students age 9+ and holders of the Frankfurt Card, and free for kids under 9 (as of July 2025). It’s open daily from April through September and closed Mondays the rest of the year. You can buy tickets at the kiosk just south of the tower, then walk up the 328 steps of the narrow spiral staircase.
The staircase ends at the viewing platform 66 meters above the ground. Once there, you can admire some of the stonework on the tower. You might even spot some old graffiti left by past visitors.
Take your time to enjoy the views. You’ll get a great look at the old town as well as the modern skyscrapers to the west. On a clear day, you can even see the mountains of the Taunus range.
