Minden Cathedral Treasure

The Minden Cathedral Treasure houses one of the most important collections of Christian art in Germany, including the Petri Shrine.

The Minden Cathedral Treasury is one of the most important collections of Christian art in Germany. It has been compiled for over a thousand years in connection with the diocese of Minden . The cathedral treasure is collected and exhibited in the cathedral treasury in the East Westphalian city ​​of Minden in a museum building near Minden Cathedral . As far as justifiable in terms of conservation, the pieces are also used liturgically. The cathedral treasury is not an art museum . The Minden Cathedral Treasure is operated by the Minden Cathedral Building Association .

history

In 1380 the chronicler Hermann von Lerbeck began to record the art objects in the cathedral. An inventory with 417 pages has been preserved from 1683. The cathedral treasury was set up in the house at the cathedral after the Second World War . In March 2017, the Minden Cathedral Treasure opened in a newly designed part of the Haus am Dom. The main exhibits in the cathedral treasury are the liturgical devices from the time of the Minden diocese. These include chalices, candlesticks and censer. There are also liturgical books and paraments. Five reliquaries are also in the cathedral treasury. Paderborn's auxiliary bishop Paul Nordhues took over his insignia from his predecessor Wilhelm Tuschen and bequeathed them to the Minden Cathedral Treasury after his death.

Liturgical device

Liturgical devices in the exhibition in Minden Cathedral Treasury.

The cathedral treasury contains liturgical implements from the most varied of eras. The oldest piece is a bronze chandelier from around 1200, which was probably made in a workshop in Minden. Similar pieces in Minden, Borghorst and Paderborn are called Mindener Leuchter . The three feet of the chandelier are designed as dragon claws and are continued by openwork tendrils.

An aquamanile in the shape of a lion comes from a workshop in Saxony . It was cast hollow from bronze and was gold-plated. It measures 32 cm in height and 38.5 cm in length.

A communion chalice , which according to an inscription was given by a Gerhard and Richard Schlepegrell in 1464, shows a round medallion with Christ on the cross at the base. On the opposite side is the coat of arms of the donor family.

A bronze censer comes from the first half of the 13th century. It was cast in bronze, engraved and gilded. The 21.5 cm high vessel is modeled on a city and indicates the heavenly Jerusalem. In a workshop in Paderborn, around 1740, a holy water vessel carved out of silver was created with the associated aspergillus .

Crosses

The Minden Cross from the early 12th century is one of the most important exhibits in the Minden Cathedral Treasury.

In addition to the Minden cross from the 11th century - recent research points to the early 12th century - there is a silver reliquary cross from around 1300 in the cathedral treasury . The partly gold-plated cross measures 24.5 cm in height and 15 cm in the width. The shaft is decorated with rings, the arms are decorated with tendril and lily engravings. The cross rests on a six-pass. The front is decorated with a rock crystal and an embedded relic of St. Andrew, on the back there is a depiction of the crucifixion.

A lecture cross of the cathedral chapter was created in the first quarter of the 16th century. It is studded with silver and partially gold-plated and has a height of 46.5 cm and a width of 37 cm. The Romanesque enamel panels and an ancient cameo are older . In the center of the cross is a relic of the cross of Christ . On one side of the cross there is a cameo in the middle of the cross. After Friedrich Matz it shows the Emperor Domitian or after Carl Küthmann a reworking from a portrait of the Emperor Nero . On the three passes at the ends of the crosses there are cast reliefs of the four symbols of the evangelists . A figure of the Dompatrons Gorgonius is engraved in the lower cross beam. The other side shows a rock crystal in the middle, behind which the relic of the cross is located. Four square Romanesque enamel plates are mounted on the cross arms. Reliefs of the four Latin church fathers appear at the ends of the three passages . In addition, there is an engraving of the second Dompatrons Peter on the lower cross bar.

Reliquaries

Statuette and arm reliquary of St. Gorgonius in the Minden Cathedral Treasury.

In the reliquary treasure of the Minden cathedral five major pieces have received. There is a reliquary of St. Margaret in the form of a left arm. It is partially gold-plated and set with precious stones. There is an amethyst on the wrist showing a woman's head. The reliquary was created in the 11th century.

Around the same time, the Petri shrine was built, which is 21 cm long, 9 cm deep and 22.5 cm high. It is said that Bishop Rudolf von Schleswig brought it to Minden as a gift for the consecration of the cathedral in 1072. The execution suggests an Old Saxon origin. The wooden shrine is gilded and set with precious stones. It is covered with a hipped roof, the ridge was destroyed in the fire in 1945. The image program of the shrine shows the crucifixion of Peter, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The bottom is covered with a sheet of silver with the names of the relics engraved on it.

An unusual piece is a cup reliquary from the 12th century. It measures 9.8 cm in height and has a diameter of 28.5 cm. The smoke topaz-colored glass was first cast, later the ornamentation was cut. The corresponding socket measures 28.6 cm in height and is made of sheet silver that has been gilded. It originated in the 13th century. According to legend, St. Hedwig served in this glass of water, which then turned into wine.

Another reliquary has the shape of the right arm of the Dompatron Gorgonius. It was made of wood and studded with silver and is partially gold-plated. The 47.7 cm high vessel was made in the 15th century. There is a rock crystal on the arm that reveals the relic inside. It is believed that Henry the Lion brought the relic from a pilgrimage. A special feature is a gem in the lower row of stones, which was created in the 1st or 2nd century.

After the secularization of the Schildesche monastery in 1825, Minden received the Schildescher shrine. It was made of oak and was built between 1330 and 1340. The outer sides show Christ as World Judge, Maria Magdalena , the secondary patrons of the Schildesche monastery Katharina and Cäcilia , John the Baptist and three abbesses. The wise and foolish virgins can be seen on the roof.

characters

Mary with the baby Jesus made of gold-plated silver sheet

One of the oldest figures in the cathedral treasury is a throne Madonna made of gold-plated silver sheet. The figure holds the baby Jesus in the left hand as world redeemer. With the other hand Maria is gathering her robe. It is believed that she held a scepter that was lost. The figure was created around 1235 to 1240; the crown of Mary is younger.

Four more figures were created in the 15th century. The 29.5 cm high statue of Peter was made of silver and is partially gilded. It stands on a six-sided base, which bears the donor's coat of arms. He holds the key in his right hand and the Bible in his left. The chest is adorned with a rock crystal through which one can look at a relic . At the foot of the statue is a window through which one can see a link from the chain with which the apostle was bound. The statue wears the Pope's robes and is crowned with a tiara .

The figure of Anna selbdritt was made of oak and is painted in color. The mother Anna wears a headscarf and has her crowned daughter Maria on her lap . This in turn is carried by the baby Jesus . He is holding a Bible and pointing his finger at it.

Another representation of Mary is made of stone and also painted in color. She wears a flat crown and is holding her bare child in her arms.

A statue of the Dompatron Gorgonius measures 22.5 cm in height . It is made of silver and partly gold-plated. The statue belonged to a reliquary and rests on a flat base. In the left hand the figure is holding a shield; the sword in the right hand has been lost.

See also

• List of museums in the Minden-Lübbecke district

literature

• Johann Kayser : From the treasury of the cathedral in Minden . Issue 1. Junfermann, Paderborn 1867, urn : nbn: de: hbz: 6: 1-415 .
• Johann Kayser: From the treasury of the cathedral in Minden . Booklet 2. Junfermann, Paderborn 1868, urn : nbn: de: hbz: 6: 1-426 .
• Peter Leo, Hans Gelderblom: The cathedral treasure and the cathedral building museum in Minden . Bruns, Minden 1961.
• Johann Karl von Schroeder: The Minden cathedral treasury inventory from 1683 . Aschendorff, Münster in Westphalia 1980, ISBN 3-402-05992-4 .
• Siegfried Kessemeier; Jochen Luckhardt : Cathedral and cathedral treasure in Minden. Langewiesche, Königstein 1982, ISBN 3-7845-4830-X .
• The Minden Cathedral Treasure . Deutscher Kunst-Verlag, Munich / Berlin 1991.

Web links

Commons : Minden Cathedral Treasury  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Official website of the Minden Cathedral Treasury

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Domschatz Minden , accessed on July 9, 2017.
2. ↑ Candlesticks. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Pouring Lion. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Measuring cup. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Censer. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ^ Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe and Westphalian Office for the Preservation of Monuments (ed.): Architectural and art monuments of Westphalia Volume 50: City of Minden Part II . Klartext Verlag, 2000, p. 940 f .
7. ↑ Holy water vessel. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ Albert Ludorff : The architectural and art monuments of Westphalia . tape 11 : The architectural and art monuments of the Minden district . Schoeningh, publishing house in Paderborn, Münster iW 1902, p. 74 ( ub.uni-bielefeld.de or archive.org ).
9. ^ H. Möbius: Rise and Fall of the Roman World: History and Culture of Rome in the Mirror of Recent Research . Ed .: Hildegard Temporini, Wolfgang Haase. tape 12 : arts. 13th subband. de Gruyter, New York 1985, ISBN 3-11-009519-X , pp. 47 .
10. ↑ Wolf-Rüdiger Megow: Cameos from Augustus to Alexander Severus . In: Ancient coins and cut stones . tape XI . de Gruyter, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-11-010703-1 , p. 101 .
11. ↑ Lecture cross of the cathedral chapter. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
12. ↑ Reliquary arm of St. Margareta. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on July 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
13. ↑ Petri Shrine. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on July 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
14. ↑ Hedwig's glass with frame. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on July 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
15. ↑ Wolfgang Leschhorn : The wedding of Henry the Lion with Mathilde of England in Minden Cathedral in 1168 . Speech on the occasion of the 840th anniversary of the wedding in 2008. 2008 ( dom-minden.de [PDF; accessed on October 20, 2010]).
16. ↑ Reliqienarm of St. Gorgonius. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on July 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
17. ↑ Reliquary made of shield ash. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on July 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
18. ↑ Madonna Enthroned (Silver Madonna). (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
19. ↑ Peter statue. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
20. ↑ Anna herself third. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
21. ↑ Mary with the child. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
22. ↑ Gorgonius statuette. (No longer available online.) Church council of the cath. Dompropsteigemeinde, archived from the original on October 25, 2007 ; Retrieved September 27, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  

Coordinates: 52 ° 17 ′ 18.5 "  N , 8 ° 55 ′ 5.7"  E