Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral
Berliner Dom
Berlin Cathedral: Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church (2017)
Religion
Affiliation	United (Prussian Union) (1817–present) Reformed (1632–1817) Lutheran (1539–1632) Catholic (until 1539)
Province	Union of Evangelical Churches
Year consecrated	1454, as the Catholic St. Erasmus Chapel
Location
Location	Cölln, a historical neighbourhood of Berlin,  Germany
Shown within Central Berlin Show map of Central Berlin Berlin Cathedral (Germany) Show map of Germany
Geographic coordinates	52°31′9″N 13°24′4″E / 52.51917°N 13.40111°E / 52.51917; 13.40111
Architecture
Architect(s)	Martin Böhme (1717) Johann Boumann the Elder (1747–1750) Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1817 and 1820–1822) Julius and Otto Raschdorff, father and son (1894–1905)
Style	Renaissance (until 1538) Brick Gothic (1538–1747) Baroque (1747–1817/1822) Neoclassical (1817–1893) Neo-Renaissance, since 1905
Completed	1451 (first building) 1538 (2nd bldg) 1750 (3rd bldg) 1905 (4th bldg) 1993 reinaugurated after removal of war destructions
Construction cost	11.5 million marks (1905)
Specifications
Direction of façade	west
Length	114 metres (374 ft), shorter since the demolition of the northern memorial hall in 1975
Width	74 metres (243 ft)
Dome height (outer)	115 metres (377 ft) (until destruction 1944)
Materials	originally brick, since 1905, Silesian sandstone
Website
www.berliner-dom.de

Berlin Cathedral (German: Berliner Dom), also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church, is a monumental German Protestant church and dynastic tomb (House of Hohenzollern) on the Museum Island in central Berlin. Having its origins as a castle chapel for the Berlin Palace, several structures have served to house the church since the 15th century. The present collegiate church was built from 1894 to 1905 by order of Emperor William II according to plans by Julius Raschdorff in Renaissance and Baroque Revival styles. The listed building is the largest Protestant church in Germany,^[1] 2nd largest worldwide and one of the most important dynastic tombs in Europe.^[2] In addition to church services, the cathedral is used for state ceremonies, concerts and other events.

Since the demolition of the Memorial Church (Denkmalskirche) section on the north side by the East German authorities in 1975, Berlin Cathedral has consisted of the large Sermon Church (Predigerkirche) in the center, and the smaller Baptismal and Matrimonial Church (Tauf- und Traukirche) on the south side and the Hohenzollern crypt (Hohenzollerngruft), which covers almost the entire basement. Damaged during the Allied bombing in World War II, the cathedral's original interior was restored by 2002. Currently there is discussion about restoring the historical exterior as well.