Erfurter Dom

Erfurter Dom, also known as St Mary’s Cathedral, stands above Domplatz in Erfurt, Germany. The hillside setting places it beside St Severus’ Church. Together, the two churches form an architectural ensemble and a recognised landmark of the city. The cathedral serves as the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erfurt.

Its International Gothic structure incorporates stained-glass windows, historic furnishings, and sculptures within a place of worship. The portal displays statues of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. Maria Gloriosa hangs in the central spire, one of three towers, and remains the largest surviving medieval bell. Geert van Wou cast the bell in 1497.

Inside, the tomb of Count von Gleichen with his two wives stands alongside a stucco altar from about 1160. The Erfurter Wolfram, a bronze candelabrum, is Germany’s oldest freestanding cast work. The site also recalls a church erected by Saint Boniface in 742 and Martin Luther’s ordination in 1507. Earlier foundations included a Romanesque basilica before the present cathedral took shape.