Münster (Cathedral) Bern
Overview
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Intro
Begun in 1421, Bern's Cathedral took 150 years to complete, and was erected entirely by volunteers. The cathedral was built for the purpose of housing a bishop, but Protestantism reached Bern before its bishop did. The cathedral represents the last major work of late Gothic architecture in Europe.
The interior architecture of the Münster attests to the cathedral's construction during the city's conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism. The choir's religious symbols are strongly Catholic; coats of arms on the ceiling's keystones come from Protestant times; empty statuary niches reveal religious artworks that were removed and destroyed at the transition. Other notable design elements include unusual black ceiling flourishes, added after the Gothic had gone out of fashion; the massive granite altar taken from Lausanne Cathedral; and the 15th-century Last Judgment sculpture over the main portal. Protestant church leaders left the carving intact because of its justice theme. 234 human figures, from high and low ranks, religious leaders including the pope and lay people, are represented. Some of each group head to heaven, and some to hell.
