Bern Minster

About

Bern Minster (German: Berner Münster) is a Swiss Reformed cathedral (or minster) in the old city of Bern, Switzerland. Built in the Gothic style, its construction started in 1421. Its tower, with a height of 100.6 m (330 ft), was only completed in 1893. It is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland and is a Cultural Property of National Significance.

The Minster of Bern is located on the southern side of the Aare peninsula. The cathedral is oriented east and west like the rest of the Old City of Bern. To the north, Münstergasse runs along the side of the building. The west façade of the Münster dominates Münsterplatz. On the south side of the cathedral is the Münsterplattform.

It is a three nave basilica without a transept. The entire cathedral is 84.2 meters (276 ft) long and 33.68 m (110.5 ft) wide. The central nave is 39.37 m (129.2 ft) long by 11.10 m (36.4 ft) wide and is 20.70 m (67.9 ft) high. The two side naves are very similar in dimensions, the north nave is 52.50 m (172.2 ft) long, while the southern one is slightly longer at 52.72 m (173.0 ft). They are both 6.45 m (21.2 ft) wide and 10.40 m (34.1 ft) high. The altar house and choir together are 25.20 m (82.7 ft) long, 10.92 m (35.8 ft) wide and 19.40 m (63.6 ft) high. The cathedral has a single tower in the west, which is 100.60 m (330.1 ft) high. Below the tower, there is a 10.15 m (33.3 ft) long by 10.46 m (34.3 ft) wide, tower hall.

There are a total of ten bays in the building. The central nave has five of these bays. Each of the side naves has two bays, with side chapels built against the exterior walls. The last bay is within the choir.

The central nave walls are supported by fourteen flying buttresses. Each buttress starts at a decorated column which rises above the roof of the side naves and side chapels. The buttresses rise at an angle of 43° 30’. The lower side of the buttresses are decorated with egg-shaped cut outs, with vesica piscis and spandrel designs.

The majority of the building is built from local sandstone. The vaults are built of brick. In the 18th century, limestone sheathing was added to the pillars. Most of the sandstone came from a quarry at Ostermundigen. Additional material came from three other quarries, each with differing colour and quality. The various stone types were used more or less randomly throughout the entire building. The pillar bases, capitals, windows and sculptures are all from the highest quality, blue sandstone from the Gurten quarry, south of Bern. During reconstruction projects in the 19th and 20th centuries, several other sandstone types were used.

The three west entrances of the cathedral are located at the back of three large portals. Each of the portals is a different height and differently shaped and decorated. The central portal is decorated with a series of statues that represent the Last Judgment in Christian theology.

The bell tower grew in several stages. The lower, rectangular tower was the original tower. The octagonal upper tower was added in the 19th century. The lower tower is flanked by two round towers and eight pillars. To the north and south, it is supported by buttresses that rise above the northern and southern main portals. The west face of the tower rises above a gallery above the central, west portal. The east face is supported by the central nave. The decoration on the western face of the tower has changed several times over the centuries. The lower, western window is quite short but wide.

The upper section of the rectangular tower rises above a second gallery. It has a 12 m (39 ft) high, but narrow window directly above the gallery. The decorations of this section are the work of two master stonemasons, Erhart Küng [ de ] and Burkhart Engelberg [ de ] This section shows much less variation in the design as it was built completely under the direction of these two men. The original tower was capped with a pyramidal roof, elements of which still exist.

The two small, stairway towers were built as part of the tower, but were completely rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The lower octagonal tower was built in the 16th century. It has eight, round arch windows. Two hexagonal staircase towers are built outside the tower near the northeast and southeast windows. The small towers are completely self-supporting.

The upper octagonal tower was built in the 19th century in a gothic style. However, some of the ornamentation is based on early 15th century designs and stands out against the 16th century lower octagonal tower.

The three west entrances of the cathedral are located at the back of three large portals. Each of the portals is a different height and differently shaped and decorated. The central portal is decorated with a series of statues that represent the Last Judgment in Christian theology.

The bell tower grew in several stages. The lower, rectangular tower was the original tower. The octagonal upper tower was added in the 19th century. The lower tower is flanked by two round towers and eight pillars. To the north and south, it is supported by buttresses that rise above the northern and southern main portals. The west face of the tower rises above a gallery above the central, west portal. The east face is supported by the central nave. The decoration on the western face of the tower has changed several times over the centuries. The lower, western window is quite short but wide.

The upper section of the rectangular tower rises above a second gallery. It has a 12 m (39 ft) high, but narrow window directly above the gallery. The decorations of this section are the work of two master stonemasons, Erhart Küng [ de ] and Burkhart Engelberg [ de ] This section shows much less variation in the design as it was built completely under the direction of these two men. The original tower was capped with a pyramidal roof, elements of which still exist.

The two small, stairway towers were built as part of the tower, but were completely rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The lower octagonal tower was built in the 16th century. It has eight, round arch windows. Two hexagonal staircase towers are built outside the tower near the northeast and southeast windows. The small towers are completely self-supporting.

The upper octagonal tower was built in the 19th century in a gothic style. However, some of the ornamentation is based on early 15th century designs and stands out against the 16th century lower octagonal tower.

The first church on this site probably was a small chapel (Leutkirche) built during the founding of Bern (1191). The first church of Bern was a romanesque building which was probably built between 1155 and 1160, but is first mentioned in 1224. This church was outside the city walls, near what is now Kreuzgasse. The nave of the first church was about 16.5 m (54 ft) long by 6 m (20 ft) wide.

In 1276, Bern broke away from the parish of Köniz to become an independent parish. For this new role, a larger church would have been necessary. It appears likely that construction on the second church began immediately. However, it isn't mentioned until 1289 in writings of Bishop Benvenutus von Eugubio. This new church was a three nave building, with a length of 29.5 m (97 ft), a width of 24.5 m (80 ft) of which the middle nave was 11.1 m (36 ft) wide. The bell tower was located in the middle of the northern side nave, and filled part of the central nave.