Bamberg - Cathedral

Since 1007, when Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) made Bamberg the seat of a diocese, the Bamberg Cathedral ("Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg") is the seat of the Archbishop of Bamberg.

The first cathedral on this place, founded in 1004 by Heinrich II and named "Heinrichsdom", got consecrated already in 1012. This building got destroyed by fire in 1085. Around 1215 the construction of the building seen here started. It was commisioned by Bishop Eckbert von Andechs-Meranien, brother of Hedwig von Andechs (aka Hedwig of Silesia). The new cathedral consecrated in 1237.


The tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II and Empress Kunigunde is one of the main attractions for the visitors. It was created around 1500 by Tilman Riemenschneider, the most gifted and prolific German sculptor of his time.

Heinrich II was the last of the Ottonians on the throne. He was the son of Heinrich der Zaenker ("Henry the Wrangler"), following his second cousin Emperor Otto III, Theophanu´s son. As there were more hopeful aspirants, after Otto III sudden death (only 21 years old!), Heinrich travelled to Bavaria, where he stopped the funeral procession on the way to Aachen.

In the village of Polling Heinrich forced Archbishop Heribert of Cologne to hand out the imperial regalia. But Heribert, favoring his relative Herman II of Swabia as the next king, had sent the Holy Lance, most important part of the regalia, ahead.

So Heinrich imprisoned the Archbishop and later as well his brother, the Bishop of Wuerzburg. It took months for them to come free, but finally in July 1002, Bernard I, Duke of Saxony, handed the Holy Lance over to Heinrich II, who had been anointed and crowned a month before in Mainz. His wife Kunigunde was crowned as Queen in Paderborn in August 1002.

In 1146 Heinrich II was canonized and since then was known as "Sankt Heinrich". A legend tells, that he felt very lonely and was very happy, when in 1200 his wife Kunigunde was canonised as well - and since then is "Sankt Kunigunde".