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| mapframe-zoom = 14| osgraw = | osgridref = Frankfurt>Frankfurt am Main| country = Germany| denomination = Roman Catholic| previous denomination = | churchmanship = | membership = | attendance = weblink}}| former name = | bull date = | founded date = | founder = | dedication = Bartholomew the Apostle| dedicated date = | consecrated date = | cult = Bartholomew the Apostle#Relics>Pieces of Saint Bartholomew's skull| events = | past bishop = | people = | status = Cathedral(also parish church)| functional status = Active| heritage designation = | designated date = | architect = | architectural type = Gothic architecture>Gothic| years built = {{circa}} 7th century (original building)| groundbreaking = 1550|1990s (restoration)}}| construction cost = | closed date = | demolished date = | capacity = | length = | width = | width nave = | height = | diameter = | other dimensions = | floor count = | floor area = | dome quantity = | dome height outer = | dome height inner = | dome dia outer = | dome dia inner = | tower quantity = 195ft|sp=us}} (including spire)| spire quantity = | spire height = | materials = | bells = | bells hung = | bell weight = | parish = | deanery = | archdeaconry = | episcopalarea = | archdiocese = | metropolis = Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg>LimburgList of Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany#Ecclesiastical province of Cologne>Cologne| presbytery = | synod = | circuit = | district = | division = | subdivision = | archbishop = | bishop = | abbot = | prior = | subprior = | vicar = | exarch = | provost-rector = | provost = | viceprovost = | rector = | dean = | subdean = | archpriest = | precentor = | succentor = | chancellor = | canonchancellor = | canon = | canonpastor = | canonmissioner = | canontreasurer = | prebendary = | priestincharge = | priest = | asstpriest = | honpriest = | curate = | asstcurate = | minister = | assistant = | seniorpastor = | pastor = | assocpastor = | asstpastor = | chaplain = | archdeacon = | deacon = | deaconness = | reader = | student intern = | organistdom = | director = Andreas Boltz| assistantorganist = | elder = | organist = | organscholar = | chapterclerk = | laychapter = | warden = | verger = | businessmgr = | liturgycoord = | reledu = | rcia = | youthmin = | flowerguild = | musicgroup = | parishadmin = | serversguild = | logo = | logosize = | logolink = | logoalt = | embedded = }}Frankfurt Cathedral (), officially Imperial Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew (), is a Roman Catholic Gothic church located in the heart of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew.It is the largest religious building in the city and a former collegiate church. Despite its common English name, it has never been a true cathedral (episcopal see), but is called the Kaiserdom (an "imperial great church" or imperial cathedral) or simply the Dom due to its importance as former election and coronation church of the Holy Roman Empire.WEB, Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus, FRANKFURT.DE – DAS OFFIZIELLE STADTPORTAL,weblink de, 2 April 2021, As one of the major buildings of the Empire's history, it was a symbol of national unity, especially in the 19th century.The present church building is the third church on the same site. Since the late 19th century, excavations have revealed buildings that can be traced back to the seventh century. The history is closely linked with the general history of Frankfurt and Frankfurt's old town because the cathedral had an associated role as the religious counterpart of the Royal Palace in Frankfurt.

History

File:Martin van Meytens 015.jpg|thumb|Coronation of Archduke Joseph as King of the RomansKing of the RomansFrankfurt Cathedral was an imperial collegiate church, termed Dom in German – a synecdoche for all collegiate churches used totum pro parte also for cathedrals -, and thus traditionally translated as cathedral in English. St. Bartholomew's is the main church of Frankfurt and was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church from the Merovingian time.NEWS, Düring, Ursula, Wo Kaiser und Könige gekrönt wurden, Mainpost, 23 September 2010,weblink de, 2 April 2021, Since 1356, when the Golden Bull of 1356 was issued by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in this collegiate church as kings in Germany, and from 1562 to 1792, emperors-elect were crowned here.WEB, Dom :: Dompfarrei St. Bartholomäus, Dompfarrei St. Bartholomäus,weblink de, 2 April 2021, WEB, Als im Frankfurter Dom die Kaiser und Könige gewählt wurden, katholisch.de,weblink de, 2 April 2021, The imperial elections were held in the Wahlkapelle, a chapel on the south side of the choir (Hochchor) built for this purpose in 1425 (See the Plan to the right) and the anointing and crowning of the emperors-elect as King of the Romans took place before the central altar–believed to enshrine part of the head of St. Bartholomew – in the crossing of the church, at the entrance to the choir (See the Plan to the right).When the city of Frankfurt secularized, it appropriated the remaining Catholic churches and their endowments of earning assets, however, leaving the usage of the church buildings to the existing Catholic parishes. Thus St. Bartholomew's became of the city's dotation churches, owned and maintained by the city but used by Catholic or Lutheran congregations.St. Bartholomew's was seen as symbol for national unity in Germany, especially during the 19th century. Although it had never been a bishop's seat, it was the largest church in Frankfurt and its role in imperial politics, including crowning of medieval German emperors, made the church one of the most important buildings of Imperial history.In 1867, St. Bartholomew's was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in its present style.WEB, Dom Frankfurt a. M., Dombaumeister E.v., 21 April 2014,weblink de, 2 April 2021, WEB, Domturm Frankfurt am Main, Geschichte, Domturm Frankfurt am Main,weblink de, 2 April 2021, During World War II, between October 1943 and March 1944, the old town of Frankfurt, the biggest old Gothic town in Central Europe, was devastated by six bombardments of the Allied Air Forces. The greatest losses occurred in an attack by the Royal Air Force on 22 March 1944, when more than a thousand buildings of the old town, most of them half-timbered houses, were destroyed.St. Bartholomew's suffered severe damage; the interior was burned out completely. The building was reconstructed in the 1950s. The height of the spire is {{convert|95|m|ft|sp=us}}.

Frankfurt Cathedral Choir School

The Frankfurt Cathedral Choir School (German: Frankfurter Domsingschule), founded in 2011, is a mixed ecumenical children's and youth choir, which accompanies not only mass and evensongs, but also official receptions and openings.WEB, Frankfurter Domsingschule :: Geschichte der Frankfurter Domsingschule, Frankfurter Domsingschule,weblink de, 2 April 2021, The Frankfurter Domsingschule offers any singer, regardless of their religious affiliation, age-based, free vocal basic training at regular rehearsals and valuable one-on-one and group vocal training or early musical education. This extensive basic training is unique for Frankfurt.

Notable people associated with the cathedral

• Conrad III of Dhaun, former provost
• Madern Gerthener, stonemason and architect who designed the cathedral
• Johannes Jeep, organist
• Joseph Weyland, Bishop of Fulda
• Hans Abel, artist contributing to the stained glass

Notable burials

• Johannes Karl von und zu Franckenstein, Prince-Bishop of Worms
• Günther von Schwarzburg, anti-king and member of the House of Schwarzburg

Gallery

File:Frankfurt Am Main-St Bartholomaeus-Dom von Sueden nach dem Dombrand-1868.jpg|View from the south after the fire of 1867File:Frankfurt Am Main-Luftbild Bildstelle Generalbauinspektion-1942-44-932.657.jpg|Frankfurt on the Main: 1940's Aerial photograph from the northeast; Cathedral (left); in the background: St. Paul's ChurchFile:Frankfurt Cathedral Tower Detail.jpg|The towerFile:Frankfurt Am Main-H Worms-Stadtansicht vom Muehlberg.jpg|View from Sachsenhaeuser Berg (Mountain of Sachsenhausen) to the north, 1845File:Frankfurt Cathedral Organ.jpg|The organFile:Frankfurt Cathedral Vaults.JPG|Vaulted ceilingsFile:Mk Frankfurt Dom Grundriss.png|PlanFile:Mk Frankfurt Dom Baugeschichte de.gif|Historical development of the current building; colors distinguish its various architectural styles.File:Rooftopper on top of Frankfurts Kaiserdom.jpg|A rooftopper on top of Frankfurts KaiserdomFile:Frankfurt Am Main-Altstadt-Zerstoerung-Luftbild 1944.jpg|1944 Aerial photograph of the cathedral during World War 2

See also

• List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• NEWS, Rösmann, Tobias, Wahlkapelle im Frankfurter Dom: Schlicht und ergreifend, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20 December 2019,weblink de, 2 April 2021,
• NEWS, Claus-Jürgen, Göpfert, Kran stürzt auf das Dach des Doms, Frankfurter Rundschau, 10 February 2020,weblink de, 2 April 2021,

External links

{{commons|Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus}}

• Dompfarrei St. Bartholomäus
• Domturm
• Frankfurter Domsingschule
• WEB, Dommuseum Frankfurt – Dome Museum, Museumsufer Frankfurt,weblink 21 December 2022,

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