St. Elizabeth's Cathedral, Nuremberg

St. Elizabeth's Cathedral, Nuremberg

Saint Elizabeth's Cathedral, located in Nuremberg, is a significant Roman Catholic church dedicated to Elizabeth of Hungary since 1235. The cathedral's history is deeply entwined with the religious shifts in Nuremberg, where, after the Reformation, it remained the sole Roman Catholic church in a predominantly Protestant city. The original building, unable to accommodate its growing congregation, was at the center of lengthy negotiations between the church and the city magistrate from 1718 to 1780.

An agreement was finally reached, leading to the demolition of the old church in 1784. In its place, a Neoclassical structure designed by Franz Ignaz Michael Neumann was envisioned, with construction beginning the following year. Neumann's death in 1789 saw Peter Anton von Verschaffelt taking over the project. However, due to escalating costs, Verschaffelt resigned the same year. The building was completed in 1802, and the dome was adorned with a golden cross in 1803.

The church was secularized in 1806 but returned to religious use in 1885 when it was acquired by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg. This acquisition spurred additional enhancements that continued until 1903. World War II inflicted severe damage on the cathedral, necessitating extensive reconstruction from 1947 to 1959. A further phase of restoration focused on the exterior took place between 1975 and 1976, ensuring the preservation and continued reverence of this historic cathedral.

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St. Elizabeth's Cathedral on Map

Sight Name: St. Elizabeth's Cathedral
Sight Location: Nuremberg, Germany (See walking tours in Nuremberg)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Nuremberg, Germany

Create Your Own Walk in Nuremberg

Create Your Own Walk in Nuremberg

Creating your own self-guided walk in Nuremberg is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Nuremberg Introduction Walking Tour

Nuremberg Introduction Walking Tour

The most "German" of all cities in Germany, Nuremberg has witnessed many historic events in its lifetime. Sadly, the first thing immediately associated with Nuremberg is the rise of the Third Reich, the Nazi rallies, and the postwar trials over the Nazi leaders. Indeed, the city was favored by Hitler, who planned to build here a grandiose architectural complex for his party.

...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Nuremberg Old Town Walking Tour

Nuremberg Old Town Walking Tour

The historical center of Nuremberg, Old Town (German: Altstadt) is easily differentiated from other parts of the city. Divided in two by the Pegnitz River, the district represents a complex architectural ensemble with a maze of historical lanes (e.g. Weissgerbergasse) packed with half-timber houses, linked by centuries-old bridges, such as Maxbrücke, and set against the picturesque backdrops of...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Hitler's Nuremberg Tour

Hitler's Nuremberg Tour

Despite Nuremberg's storybook appearance, the city's not so distant past is rather dark. Back in 1933, amid the rise of the Third Reich, the Nazis worked really hard to leave their stamp on the city, prettifying it and renovating the architecture in a bid to accommodate their massive rallies and bombastic military parades.

In fact, no other city in Germany is more intertwined with the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles