100-541: Bremen Cathedral (German: Bremer Dom or St. Petri Dom zu Bremen ), named after St. Peter , is a church situated in the market square in the center of Bremen . The cathedral belongs to the Bremian Evangelical Church , a member of the umbrella organization Protestant Church in Germany . It is the previous cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen . Since 1973, it is protected by
200-497: A united administrative umbrella, the still existing Bremian Evangelical Church , comprising the bulk of Bremen's citizens.] In 1817, the city council ordered the withdrawal of some small houses, attached to the northern wall of the cathedral. But the consequent reparations of the wall had to be paid by the parish's construction fund. After more than two centuries of economic decline, for the free city of Bremen investments in its nautic and other transport infrastructure had priority to
300-477: A "repair" of the cathedral. The construction of the lower storeys of the western façade and towers – in pure romanesque style – may have begun before the decree and even before the onset of Gerhard's rule. Between the towers, a rose window was added, it has already been depicted in Bremen's first municipal seal, cut in 1230. Than, successively and most of it under the same rule, at first the two westernmost bays of
400-468: A Lutheran Latin School opened at St Peter's. Just eighteen years later, a lightning struck the northern tower and burned the roof, which collapsed into the nave destroying the roof. The walls of northern tower were quickly rebuilt, covered with a simple pyramidal roof. The southern tower suffered a second collapse and remained an open ruin for almost two and a half centuries. Though the outer appearance of
500-436: A central nave and two side aisles with a choir at each end of the nave, a typical Carolingian church form. There was a cathedral school and cloister. Early in the tenure of Archbishop Adalbrand (1035–1043) the church was in the process of being rebuilt and enlarged, but in 1041 most of Bremen including the cathedral was destroyed by a terrible fire. The fire also destroyed much of the cathedral library. Bishop Adalbrand ordered
600-457: A huge number of fish. Immediately after this, they follow Him. The Gospel of John gives a comparable account of "The First Disciples". In John, the readers are told that it was two disciples of John the Baptist (Andrew and an unnamed disciple) who heard John the Baptist announce Jesus as the " Lamb of God " and then followed Jesus. Andrew then went to his brother Simon, saying, "We have found
700-594: A major saint and the founder of the Church of Antioch and the Church of Rome , but they differ in their attitudes regarding the authority of his successors . According to Catholic teaching , Jesus promised Peter a special position in the Church. In the New Testament , the name "Simon Peter" is found 19 times. He is the brother of Saint Andrew , and they both were fishermen . The Gospel of Mark in particular
800-540: A new main altar with a canopy, resembling St. Peter's Baldachin in Vatican Basilica . About 80 years later, the western rose window had to be changed (for a simpler one), in order to prevent damages of the organ caused by humidity. In 1803 the cathedral immunity district with St Peter's, meanwhile an extraterritorial enclave of the Electorate of Hanover , which had gained the duchy of Bremen-Verden in,
900-693: A party of "Cephas". First Corinthians suggests that perhaps Peter visited the city of Corinth, located in Greece, during their missions. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth , in his Epistle to the Roman Church under Pope Soter (A.D. 165–174), declares that Peter and Paul founded the Church of Rome and the Church of Corinth, and they have lived in Corinth for some time, and finally in Italy where they found death: You have thus by such an admonition bound together
1000-562: A reminiscent scene in John's epilogue, Peter affirms three times that he loves Jesus. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians contains a list of resurrection appearances of Jesus , the first of which is an appearance to Peter. Here, Paul apparently follows an early tradition that Peter was the first to see the risen Christ, which, however, did not seem to have survived to the time when the gospels were written. In John's gospel, Peter
1100-402: A second choir in the west. The towers were constructed flanking this western choir, forming the west front of the church since 1215 and 1253. In 1346 the towers were strengthened and given pyramidal tops of uneven heights. When the towers were restored and raised in the 1890s they were given Rhenish "helmets," which still cap the towers today. It is possible to climb the south tower for a view of
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#17327765999281200-553: A shrine for the relics, which has been accomplished until after 1420. The shrine from carved oak wood covered with gilt rolled silver is considered an important mediaeval gold work. In 1649 Bremen's Chapter, meanwhile Lutheran, sold the shrine with the alleged relics to Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria . It is now shown in the Jesuit church of St Michael in Munich. Under Prince-Archbishop Johann Rode , officiating between 1497 and 1511,
1300-707: A trip by Paul the Apostle to Jerusalem where he meets Peter. Peter features again in Galatians, fourteen years later, when Paul (now with Barnabas and Titus ) returned to Jerusalem. When Peter came to Antioch , Paul opposed Peter to his face "because he [Peter] was in the wrong". Acts 12 narrates how Peter, who was in Jerusalem, was put into prison by Agrippa I (AD 42–44) but was rescued by an angel . After his liberation Peter left Jerusalem to go to "another place". Concerning Peter's subsequent activity there
1400-903: Is always listed first among the Twelve Apostles in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts . Along with James the Elder and John he formed an informal triumvirate within the Twelve Apostles. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry, the Raising of Jairus' daughter , Transfiguration of Jesus and Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane . Peter often confesses his faith in Jesus as
1500-463: Is displayed: two Swedish officers from the Thirty Years' War, an English countess, a murdered student, and a local pauper. That basement has become the cathedral's most visited attraction for more than 300 years. The cathedral has twin 89 meter towers (with weather-vanes 92.31 m) referred to as the north tower and the south tower. Like several major romanesque churches, Bremen Cathedral has
1600-435: Is disputed, some saying that its usual meaning is "rock" or "crag", others saying that it means rather "stone" and, particularly in its application by Jesus to Simon, like a "jewel", but most scholars agree that as a proper name, it denotes a rough or tough character... Both meanings, "stone" (jewel or hewn stone) and "rock", are indicated in dictionaries of Aramaic and Syriac . Catholic theologian Rudolf Pesch argues that
1700-645: Is instead spelled " Simeon " ( Συμεών in Greek). The variation possibly reflects "the well-known custom among Jews at the time of giving the name of a famous patriarch or personage of the Old Testament to a male child [i.e., Simeon ] along with a similar sounding Greek/Roman name [in this case, Simon]". He was later given by Jesus the name Cephas ( / ˈ s iː f ə s / ), from the Aramaic כֵּיפָא , Kepha , 'rock/stone'. In translations of
1800-471: Is located beneath the nave, but has no more direct access from it. Originally, the roofs of the cathedral were covered with lead. As it had to be repaired very often, a huge amount of that metal was stored in a basement. Even before the Reformation, it was found that this cellar was an excellent place to preserve corpses amazingly well. Eight mummies in glass-topped coffins can be seen there. Their identity
1900-418: Is no further connected information from the extant sources, although there are short notices of certain individual episodes of his later life. The synoptic gospels mention that Peter had a mother-in-law at the time he joined Jesus, and that Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. However, the gospels give no information about his wife. Clement of Alexandria claimed that Peter's wife was executed for her faith by
2000-509: Is often repeated in the service of worship on Maundy Thursday by some Christian denominations . The three synoptic gospels all mention that, when Jesus was arrested, one of his companions cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest of Israel . The Gospel of John also includes this event and names Peter as the swordsman and Malchus as the victim. Luke adds that Jesus touched the ear and miraculously healed it. This healing of
2100-772: Is once referred to as "prominent" or "head" among the Apostles, a title shared with Paul in the text ( The Fraction of Fast and Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ). Some, including the Orthodox Churches, believe this is not the same as saying that the other Apostles were under Peter's orders. According to the Epistle to the Galatians ( 2:11 ), Peter went to Antioch where Paul rebuked him for following
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#17327765999282200-463: Is one of the largest historic brick structures in Europe, but it comprises too many stone structures to be subsumed to Brick Gothic . During the great restoration of 1888 to 1901, the western towers and most of the western façade were rebuilt relatively close to previous structures. The crossing tower was a new addition, using the medieval crossing tower of Worms Cathedral as an example. The roofs above
2300-409: Is provided by Jesuit Father Daniel J. Harrington , who suggests that Peter was an unlikely symbol of stability. While he was one of the first disciples called and was the spokesman for the group, Peter is also the exemplar of "little faith". In Matthew 14 , Peter will soon have Jesus say to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?", and he will eventually deny Jesus three times. Thus, in light of
2400-574: Is regarded as the first leader of the early Church, though he was soon eclipsed in this leadership by James the Just, "the brother of the Lord" . Because Peter was the first to whom Jesus appeared, the leadership of Peter forms the basis of the Apostolic succession and the institutional power of orthodoxy, as the heirs of Peter, and he is described as "the rock" on which the church will be built. Peter
2500-677: Is that Peter had a group of 12 to 16 followers, whom the Clementine writings name. Another is that it provides an itinerary of Peter's route from Caesarea Maritima to Antioch, where he debated his adversary Simon Magus ; during this journey he ordained Zacchaeus as the first bishop of Caesarea and Maro as the first bishop of Tripolis . Historian Fred Lapham suggests the route recorded in the Clementine writings may have been taken from an earlier document mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion called "The Itinerary of Peter". Peter may have visited Corinth , and maybe there existed
2600-400: Is the first person to enter the empty tomb , although the women and the beloved disciple see it before him. In Luke's account, the women's report of the empty tomb is dismissed by the apostles, and Peter is the only one who goes to check for himself, running to the tomb. After seeing the graveclothes, he goes home, apparently without informing the other disciples. In the final chapter of
2700-429: Is there, in the area of Caesarea Philippi , that he receives from Jesus the name Cephas (Aramaic Kepha ), or Peter (Greek Petros ). In Luke , Simon Peter owns the boat that Jesus uses to preach to the multitudes who were pressing on him at the shore of Lake Gennesaret . Jesus then amazes Simon and his companions James and John (Andrew is not mentioned) by telling them to lower their nets, whereupon they catch
2800-573: The French Empire , the city council agreed to the establishment of a cathedral parish, this way preventing a French confiscation of the church's properties. But the new parish wouldn't gain full equality of right with the Calvinist parishes before 1830, asserted by a majority of Bremen's Calvinist senators (government members) against the expressed will of Smidt. [In 1873 the Calvinist and Lutheran congregations in Bremen reconciled and founded
2900-642: The Gentiles . Simon Peter applied the message of the vision on clean animals to the gentiles and follows his meeting with Cornelius the Centurion by claiming that "God shows no partiality". According to the Acts of the Apostles , Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to Samaria . Peter/Cephas is mentioned briefly in the opening chapter of one of the Pauline epistles , Epistle to the Galatians , which mentions
3000-707: The Messiah ", and then brought Simon to Jesus, who immediately named him as "Cephas". Three of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark and John—recount the story of Jesus walking on water . Matthew additionally describes Peter walking on water for a moment but beginning to sink when his faith wavers. At the beginning of the Last Supper , Jesus washed His disciples' feet. Peter initially refused to let Jesus wash his feet, but when Jesus told him: "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me", Peter replied: "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head". The washing of feet
3100-475: The early Christian Church . He appears repeatedly and prominently in all four New Testament gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles . Catholic tradition accredits Peter as the first bishop of Rome —or pope —and also as the first bishop of Antioch . According to Christian tradition , Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero . The ancient Christian churches all venerate Peter as
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3200-456: The papal legates Gerald of Ostia and Hubert of Palestrina put pressure on him to hold a local synod ; he resisted, was suspended, and by 1075 his views against papal interference with bishops had hardened. In 1080, he attended the Synod of Brixen that condemned Pope Gregory VII . With Benno II of Osnabrück he commissioned the anti-papal polemic of Wido of Osnabrück around 1085. Liemar
3300-418: The quire of Bremen Cathedral. In celebration of the retrieval Prince-Archbishop and cathedral chapter arranged a feast at Pentecost 1335, when the relics were translated from the wall to a more dignified place." (For the original quotation see the note) Grelle claimed the relics were those Archbishop Adaldag brought from Rome in 965. In about 1400 the cathedral master-builder Johann Hemeling commissioned
3400-521: The "Maria Gloriosa" cast in 1433 by the famous bell maker Ghert Klinghe. The other bells were removed and melted down for the war effort in World War II. In 1951 two bells, "Hansa" and "Felicitas", were donated to the cathedral by former residents living abroad. In 1962, a prominent Bremen family donated a fourth bell, the "Brema," which hangs in the southern tower. The Brema weighs 7000 kg. 11th century archbishop Adalbert also wanted to improve
3500-436: The 17th century was newly erected from its foundations, but using recent structures of the northern tower and old depictions of the cathedral as an example. Of the northern tower it is unknown even to the authorities concerned today, if the lower four storeys were kept or pulled down and rebuilt almost identically. The upper storeys were redesigned a bit. The mosaics in the two central arcs of the façade were new. The gallery above
3600-699: The Apostle Peter, his See , and his successors in book III of Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies ). In the book, Irenaeus wrote that Peter and Paul founded and organised the Church in Rome. Sources suggest that at first, the terms episcopos and presbyteros were used interchangeably, with the consensus among scholars being that by the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries, local congregations were led by bishops and presbyters, whose duties of office overlapped or were indistinguishable from one another. Protestant and secular historians generally agree that there
3700-722: The Apostles portrays Peter as the central figure within the early Christian community. All four canonical gospels recount that, during the Last Supper , Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times before the following cockcrow ("before the cock crows twice" in Mark's account). The three Synoptics and John describe the three denials as follows: In the Gospel of Luke is a record of Christ telling Peter: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." In
3800-466: The Apostles. The word used for "rock" ( petra ) grammatically refers to "a small detachment of the massive ledge", not to a massive boulder. Thus, Orthodox Sacred Tradition understands Jesus' words as referring to the apostolic faith. Petros had not previously been used as a name, but in the Greek-speaking world it became a popular Christian name, after the tradition of Peter's prominence in
3900-454: The Aramaic word would mean "precious stone" to designate a distinguishing person. This cannot be sufficiently proven from Aramaic, however, since the use of the Aramaic root kp as a personal name has not been proven and there are hardly any known examples of the word being used to mean "precious stone". The combined name Σίμων Πέτρος ( Símon Pétros , Simon Peter) appears 19 times in
4000-582: The Bible from the original Greek , his name is maintained as Cephas in nine occurrences in the New Testament , whereas in the vast majority of mentions (156 occurrences in the New Testament) he is called Πέτρος , Petros , from the Greek and Latin word for a rock or stone ( petra ) to which the masculine ending was added, rendered into English as Peter . The precise meaning of the Aramaic word
4100-477: The Calvinist parishes of the municipal districts, where they lived. To get space for the increasing audience of the services, some galleries were built inside the central nave and the northern aisle. Between 1693 and 1698, Arp Schnitger installed a huge organ that would be played until 1847, one of the most valuable equipment, Bremen Cathedral ever had. in the same period, in 1694/96, the Lutheran church received
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4200-511: The Christian church. Peter was considered along with James the Just and John the Apostle as the three Pillars of the Church . Legitimised by Jesus' appearance, Peter assumed leadership of the group of early followers, forming the Jerusalem ekklēsia mentioned by Paul. He was soon eclipsed in this leadership by James the Just, "the Brother of the Lord." According to Lüdemann, this
4300-600: The Easter event, Peter became an exemplar of the forgiven sinner. Outside the Catholic Church, opinions vary as to the interpretation of this passage with respect to what authority and responsibility, if any, Jesus was giving to Peter. In the Eastern Orthodox Church this passage is interpreted as not implying a special prominence to the person of Peter, but to Peter's position as representative of
4400-540: The Gospel of John, Peter, in one of the resurrection appearances of Jesus, three times affirmed his love for Jesus , balancing his threefold denial, and Jesus reconfirmed Peter's position. The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee is seen as the traditional site where Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and, according to Catholic tradition, established Peter's supreme jurisdiction over
4500-654: The Greek city before his journey to Rome. Claims of direct blood lineage from Simon Peter among the old population of Antioch existed in the 1st century and continue to exist today, notably by certain Semaan families of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. Historians have furnished other evidence of Peter's sojourn in Antioch. The Clementine literature , a group of related works written in the fourth century but believed to contain materials from earlier centuries, relates information about Peter that may come from earlier traditions. One
4600-511: The Just was bishop of Jerusalem whilst Peter was bishop of Rome and that this position at times gave James privilege in some (but not all) situations. In a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples ( Matthew 16:13–19 ), Jesus asks, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples give various answers. When he asks, "Who do you say that I am?", Simon Peter answers, "You are the Messiah,
4700-410: The Messiah. Peter is often depicted in the gospels as spokesman of all the Apostles. John Vidmar , a Catholic scholar, writes: "Catholic scholars agree that Peter had an authority that superseded that of the other apostles. Peter is their spokesman at several events, he conducts the election of Matthias, his opinion in the debate over converting Gentiles was crucial, etc." The author of the Acts of
4800-582: The New Testament. In some Syriac documents he is called, in English translation, Simon Cephas. The sources used to reconstruct the life of Peter can be divided in three groups: In the New Testament, he is among the first of the disciples called during Jesus' ministry. Peter became the first listed apostle ordained by Jesus in the early Church. Peter was a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida . He
4900-585: The Petrine authorship of both . Nevertheless, Evangelicals and Catholics have always affirmed Peter's authorship, and recently, evangelical scholars have revived the claim of Petrine authorship of these epistles . Based on contemporary historical data, Peter's papacy is estimated to have spanned from AD 30 to his death, which would make him the longest-reigning pope , at anywhere from 34 to 38 years; however, this has never been verified. Saint Irenaeus ( c. 130 – c. 202 AD ) explains
5000-519: The Roman authorities but he did not specify any date or location. Another opinion states that Peter's wife was no longer alive at the time he met Jesus, so he was a widower. The Gospels and Acts portray Peter as the most prominent apostle, though he denied Jesus three times during the events of the crucifixion. According to the Christian tradition, Peter was the first disciple to whom Jesus appeared, balancing Peter's denial and restoring his position. Peter
5100-553: The Son of the living God." Jesus then declares: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Cephas (Peter) ( Petros ), and on this rock ( petra ) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. A common view of Peter
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#17327765999285200-438: The ascension of our Saviour, as if also preferred by our Lord, strove not after honor, but chose James the Just bishop of Jerusalem. Dunn proposes that Peter was a "bridge-man" between the opposing views of Paul and James the Just [italics original]: For Peter was probably in fact and effect the bridge-man (pontifex maximus!) who did more than any other to hold together the diversity of first-century Christianity . James
5300-426: The basilica style church was further transformed into a German "High Gothic" style church with a new northern nave. Several chapels were added and even more ambitious plans were made for the church. While the municipality of Bremen had gained more and more independence from the archbishopric, the cathedral remained under the control of the chapter and the archbishops. The municipality was divided in four parishes. Even
5400-514: The brother of Jesus and Paul, the two other most prominent leading figures in first-century Christianity, were too much identified with their respective "brands" of Christianity, at least in the eyes of Christians at the opposite ends of this particular spectrum. Paul affirms that Peter had the special charge of being apostle to the Jews, just as he, Paul, was apostle to the Gentiles. Some argue James
5500-415: The building rebuilt in 1042, but died before it could be completed. Most of the rebuilding fell to Archbishop Adalbert (1043–1072). The cathedral was rebuilt as a pillared basilica with rounded Romanesque style arches and a flat timber ceiling. Two stubby, flat-topped towers were added to the west front. A crypt was built under the west part of the nave. The building plan was based on the cruciform shape of
5600-479: The building remained quite poor for more than two centuries, the importance of the church increased. The Lutheran community in the walls of Bremen lacked the status of a parish, but due to immigration from the Lutheran states around Bremen, time by time it became the largest religious group in the city. In administrative matters, the Lutherans that joined the services in the cathedral, at the same time were members of
5700-455: The cathedral at Benevento in Campania, Italy which Adalbert was familiar with. He also brought craftsmen from Lombardy to make repairs and embellish the cathedral, much to the consternation of local builders and artists. Adalbert ignored the criticism and forced his vision for the cathedral. On Adalbert's orders parts of the fortification of the cathedral district [ de ] (not
5800-418: The cathedral doorknobs in the company of friends and family. 53°04′31″N 8°48′32″E / 53.07528°N 8.80889°E / 53.07528; 8.80889 St. Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah ; died AD 64–68), also known as Peter the Apostle , Simon Peter , Simeon , Simon , or Cephas , was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the first leaders of
5900-584: The church reopened. The restoration was done close to the status before and old pictures, but with a few additions in Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival style. The whole concept was developed by Max Salzmann. The towers were raised to their present height and completed in 1892. The interior of the church was restored in the Gothic style making it difficult to see the changes in style that occurred over time. The northern tower that had collapsed in
6000-454: The city too. The pulpit remains in its original location. Bremen has a long-standing tradition of fine organ music. As early as in 1244, the cantor was ordered to take care of the organ. Notations are preserved since 1526. In 1528, the construction of a new "large organ" was begun. From 1698 to 1843 the famous organ built by Arp Schnitger , one of the Baroque period's best known organ makers
6100-401: The city. The north tower has no public access. The crossing tower is a completely new addition of end 19th century. For several centuries, the outside design of the crossing had been modest. When the southern tower collapsed in 1638, it contained eight bells. Today both western towers together house the cathedral's four bells. The northern tower has three bells. The oldest surviving bell is
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#17327765999286200-537: The conservative line regarding the conversion of Gentiles, having meals separate from Gentiles. Subsequent tradition held that Peter had been the first Patriarch of Antioch . According to the writings of Origen and Eusebius in his Church History (III, 36) Peter had founded the church of Antioch. Later accounts expand on the brief biblical mention of his visit to Antioch . The Liber Pontificalis (9th century) mentions Peter as having served as bishop of Antioch for seven years, and having potentially left his family in
6300-409: The conversion of the pagans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In his work is found the first reference to Vinland . There is a tradition with a connection to the cathedral. When a man reaches the age of 30 and still is not married, he must sweep the cathedral steps until a young woman gives him a kiss and then he is released from his duty. Women who reach their thirtieth birthday unmarried go to polish
6400-544: The crypts. In the western crypt, nowadays used as baptismal chapel, it is decorated with the oldest sculpture of the cathedral, Jesus Christ as a ruler with Saint Peter's key. The pulpit installed in 1638 was a gift to the people of Bremen from Queen Christina of Sweden , whose troops – in the course of the Thirty Years' War – had already captured the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, and aimed at gaining
6500-533: The early Christian church had been established. The leadership of Peter forms the basis of the Apostolic succession and the institutional power of orthodoxy, as the heirs of Peter, and is described as "the rock" on which the church will be built. Catholics refer to him as chief of the Apostles, as do the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox . In Coptic Orthodox Church liturgy, he
6600-555: The entrances was restored a bit more solid, and the rose window a bit more decorated than they had been. On the northern façade the gables of the transept and above the Brautportal ("Bride Door") were new, and the Bride Door itself was redecorated, now it has Gothic Revival design. The addition of the crossing tower was a challenge of engineering, the four columns of the crossing had to be displaced by more stable pillars, but
6700-428: The first Reformed sermon in Bremen was held in 1522, and in 1534 the city established a Protestant rule of churches. The cathedral chapter was still catholic and closed St Peter's cathedral, after on Palm Sunday of 1532 a delegation of Bremen's revolutionary Council of the 104 men [ de ] had forcefully interrupted a Catholic mass and prompted a pastor to hold a Lutheran service. The Roman Catholic Church
6800-459: The ground. In 1104, the archidiocese lost most of his administrative power to the newly established archbishopric of Lund . During the rule Prince-Archbishop Gerhard II (1219–1258), the conditions for works on the cathedral improved: On Christmas 1223 the rivalry of Bremen and Hamburg was finished by a papal decision, Bremen became the only see of the archbishopric. In March 1224, another papal decree authorized an indulgence campaign to subsidize
6900-485: The laic inhabitants of the cathedral immunity had a special parish church, Saint Willehadus chapel. The cathedral was the church of the clergy and for special religious celebrations and special events of the archbishopric. The cathedral and its district were included by the municipal fortifications, but politically they formed an exclave. When the Protestant Reformation swept through northern Germany,
7000-435: The medieval vaults were kept. Inside, the walls were repainted in a Neo-Byzantine style. The church was struck by a fire bomb during an Allied air raid in 1943 and damaged repeatedly until 1945 when a high explosive bomb caused the collapse of parts of the vaults of the northern aisle. Due to that gap, it was feared that the building could collapse totally. However, all roofs and windows were closed quite soon, and by 1950
7100-446: The monument protection act. In general, Bremen Cathedral is a medieval building. The oldest visible structures are the two crypts. The last parts built in romanesque style and in sandstone were the lower storeys of the western façade and the western towers. Since the late 1220s, vaults and walls were erected in bricks, partly hidden by sheets of sandstone. Only the outer wall of the southern row of chapels shows unhidden bricks. St Peter's
7200-560: The nave were vaulted (still almost Romance style), then the aisles in very early Gothic architecture , then central nave, choir, crossing and transept in advanced early Gothic style. Differing from the Romance parts, the vaults and new walls were constructed in brick as were many other large ecclesiastic and public buildings in northern Europe. Central nave and choir have double bays with six sections each. The pillars at their corners are supported by flying buttresses (since 1502–'22 only on
7300-501: The planting of Peter and of Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of them planted and likewise taught us in our Corinth. And they taught together in like manner in Italy, and suffered martyrdom at the same time. Liemar Liemar (unknown – 16 May 1101, in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1072 to 1101, and an important figure of the early Investiture Contest . He was a supporter of Emperor Henry IV from 1073. In 1074
7400-399: The pulpit. Unfortunately, most of them were used as firewood. But nine of the carved stall wings were saved by the cathedral's structurer . They had been created in the 1360s. Now they are exposed in one of the chapels. Each of them has a program, showing connected stories from the bible. Two crypts reveal the lower portions of the early Romanesque state of the cathedral. Consecrated in 1068,
7500-501: The reconstruction of the cathedral. Therefore, during the 3rd to 9th decades of the 19th century, urgent renovations had to be paid from the construction fund, and embellishments from gifts. Since 1822, some innovations of the interior were done. The abundance of stalls was reduced to a functional density. Unfortunately, some most valuable medieval stalls were destroyed that way. In 1839/40, a new main altar in Gothic Revival style
7600-528: The reputation of the cathedral school and invited Magister Adam of Magdeburg Cathedral School to come to Bremen and eventually become its director. After 1072 Adam wrote The Deeds of the Bishops of the Hamburg Church , a history of the missionary efforts in northern Germany and Scandinavia in four volumes. Adam of Bremen , as he became known, used the earlier works of others available to him at what
7700-454: The same year. Just three years later Saxons attacked and burned Bremen and its tiny timber cathedral. No trace of it remains. The see remained vacant for thirteen years until it was reestablished under Bishop Willerich in 805. St Peter's was built as the cathedral church of local sandstone in several stages by Bishop Willerich. After the sack of Hamburg by the Danes in 845, Bremen became
7800-453: The seat of the combined Bremen and Hamburg Archdiocese under Archbishop Saint Ansgar who held the see from 848 to his death in 865. He was one of the most prominent missionaries to northern Europe and is credited with the beginnings of the conversion of the Danes and Swedes to Christianity. He was succeeded by Archbishop Rimbert . It is believed that during Ansgar's time the cathedral had
7900-477: The servant's ear is the last of the 37 miracles attributed to Jesus in the Bible. Simon Peter was twice arraigned , with John, before the Sanhedrin and directly defied them. Peter takes a missionary journey to Lydda , Joppa and Caesarea . At Joppa, Peter had a vision given him from God which allowed for the eating of previously unclean animals, leading the early believers to the decision to evangelise
8000-561: The sons of Zebedee , James and John . The Gospel of John also depicts Peter fishing, even after the resurrection of Jesus, in the story of the Catch of 153 fish . In Matthew and Mark, Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew to be " fishers of men ". In the Confession of Peter he proclaims Jesus to be the Christ ( Jewish Messiah ), as described in the three synoptic gospels. It
8100-412: The southern belfry, that already had looked instable since more than a century, collapsed causing severe damage to surrounding buildings and killing eight people. Its lower storeys received a flat roof. Also in 1638, the Prince-Archbishopric's Lutheran Administrator Frederick II reopened St Peter's as a Lutheran place of worship, while meanwhile all other churches in town had become Calvinist. In 1642,
8200-503: The southern side). The pillars of the middling ribs, carrying only one fourth (or eighth) of the weight, have none, except of the choir, where they were added as late as in 1911. At Easter 1334 Prince-Archbishop Burchard Grelle claimed to have found the skulls of the Saints Cosmas and Damian . He "personally 'miraculously' retrieved the relics of the holy physicians Cosmas and Damian, which were allegedly immured and forgotten in
8300-439: The stained glass windows is totally new. On the eve of the reformation, the cathedral contained fifty altars. Now, there are four altars and one pulpit. The main altar is in the choir. For smaller services, there is a central altar beside the pulpit in the middle of the northern side of the central nave. It is decorated with a torso of a sculpture of Christ, carrying his cross, saved from northern façade. The two other altars are in
8400-588: The transepts and the northern aisle were redesigned. The first church structure that can be verified on the site of St Peter's Cathedral in Bremen was a timber church on a high point overseeing the Weser River built by Saint Willehad , an early missionary to the Frisians . The church was built about 789 in conjunction with the creation of the Diocese of Bremen, with Willehad as the first bishop. Willehad died
8500-465: The unwalled market town beside) were torn down to provide low-cost stone for the cathedral. Adalbert's short-sightedness resulted in Saxons sacking the city and the cathedral in 1064. Under Adalbert's rule the oldest visible part of nowaday's cathedral was built, the western crypt. Under his successor, Liemar (1072–1102), the eastern crypt was built and the cathedral reached almost present-day extent on
8600-463: The vaults were reconstructed and the whole building stabilized. From 1972 to 1981 the church was restored once again. During those works, the chance was used for an intensive archaeological examination of the foundations and the graves under the floor. The only change of structures was the new rose window of the northern transept, but many of the Neo-Byzantine paintings disappeared. The design of
8700-450: The western crypt is the oldest room on Bremen. Its altar is decorated by a Christ Pantocrator , the oldest sculpture of the cathedral. Nowadays this room is used for baptisms. Therefore, it contains the bronze baptismal font from 1229 that had been moved to all parts of the cathedral before. The eastern crypt contains the bodies of almost ninety graves of bishops, archbishops , and other notables. Furthermore, it contains two sculptures from
8800-466: The western façade, the coronation of Saint Mary from the attic and the relic of the crucifixion from the southern central arch. St Peter's has several fine examples of artistic epitaphs for individuals that have survived the many restorations of the cathedral. The three finest are for Chapter Senior Segebade II von der Hude (ca. 1500–1578; Provost of Himmelpforten Convent ), Dr. Gerhard Brandis (1518), and Cathedral Provost Sigebade Clüver (1547). St Peter's
8900-542: Was condemned as a symbol of the abuses of a long Catholic past by most local citizens and the building fell into disuse and then disrepair. In 1547 the chapter, meanwhile prevailingly Lutheran, appointed the Dutch Albert Hardenberg, called Rizaeus , as the first Cathedral preacher of Protestant affiliation. Rizaeus turned out to be a partisan of the rather Zwinglian understanding of the Lord's Supper , which
9000-667: Was due to the discussions about the strictness of adherence to the Jewish Law, when the more conservative faction of James the Just took the overhand over the more liberal position of Peter, who soon lost influence. According to Methodist historian James D. G. Dunn , this was not a "usurpation of power", but a consequence of Peter's involvement in missionary activities. The early Church historian Eusebius (c. AD 325) records Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 190) as saying: For they say that Peter and James (the Greater) and John after
9100-524: Was incorporated into the Free Imperial City of Bremen. Its burgomaster Johann Smidt , a devout member of the Reformed (Calvinist) church , confiscated the considerable estates of the Lutheran congregation. The representatives of the Lutheran congregation, led by the cathedral preacher Johann David Nicolai , started to fight for its right to exist. In 1810, facing the annexion of Bremen by
9200-433: Was installed, and 1847 to 1849 a new organ. In the 1860s, the cathedral got its first coloured stained glass windows after the Reformation. By the 1880s the citizens of Bremen decided that the cathedral should be restored to its medieval glory. The idea was predominantly promoted by Franz Schütte . Money was raised for the restoration of the building and work began in 1888. Reconstruction continued off and on until 1901 when
9300-507: Was left of the cathedral library to describe the events and people in the Christianization of north Germany, Frisia , and Scandinavia, for which Hamburg had authority to send missionaries. Adam of Bremen continued to revise and update his writing until his death in 1080. His fourth book was mainly written, it is believed, as a guide to the geography and customs of the peoples of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden for future missionaries in
9400-458: Was named Simon, the son of a man named Jonah or John. The three synoptic gospels recount how Peter's mother-in-law was healed by Jesus at their home in Capernaum ; these passages depict Peter as being married or widowed. 1 Corinthians 9:5 has also been taken to imply that he was married. In the synoptic gospels, Peter (then Simon) was a fisherman along with his brother, Andrew , and
9500-433: Was one of many bishops who was irked by Gregory VII's encroachment of episcopal autonomy. In a letter to Bishop Hezilo of Hildesheim, Liemar complained that Gregory VII was ordering his bishops about 'as though they were his bailiffs'. This biographical article about a German religious figure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This biographical article about a person in connection with Christianity
9600-607: Was probably "no single 'monarchical' bishop in Rome before the middle of the 2nd century...and likely later." Outside of the New Testament, several apocryphal books were later attributed to him, in particular the Acts of Peter , Gospel of Peter , Preaching of Peter , Apocalypse of Peter , and Judgment of Peter , although scholars believe these works to be pseudepigrapha . The New Testament presents Peter's original name as Simon ( / ˈ s aɪ m ə n / ; Σίμων , Simōn in Greek ). In only two passages, his name
9700-447: Was rejected by the then Lutheran burghers, city council, and chapter. So in 1561 – after tremendous quarrels – Rizaeus was dismissed and banned from the city and the cathedral shut again its doors. While the majority of Bremen's burghers and city council adopted Calvinism until the 1590s, the chapter, being simultaneously the body of secular government in the neighbouring Prince-Archbishopric, clung to Lutheranism . On 27 January 1638,
9800-663: Was the main organ. Its replacements, the Schulze organ and then the Wilhelm Sauer organ, one of the largest in northwest Germany. The cathedral today has five organs in different parts of the cathedral and continues the long tradition of great organs and organists. Up to the nineteenth century, the cathedral choir, which still exists today, was situated in the crossing and divided from the transepts by lateral walls. On both sides of this choir, there were two files of choir stalls. In 1826, they were withdrawn, as they had no view to
9900-457: Was the original resting place of St Emma of Lesum , a wealthy benefactress of the church, who lived in outside the city in the early 11th century. When her tomb was opened, her body had crumbled to dust except for her right hand; the one that gave aid to the poor. The relic was moved to the church at Werden. The cathedral museum was established in one of the side chapels in the 1970s cathedral restoration. An unusual "Bleikeller" or lead basement
10000-514: Was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories. He is also mentioned, under either the name Peter or Cephas, in Paul 's First Letter to the Corinthians and the Epistle to the Galatians . The New Testament also includes two general epistles , First Peter and Second Peter , that are traditionally attributed to him, but modern scholarship generally rejects
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