The story · by Matt Robinson
If churches and cathedrals are the eternal chaperones of great European cities, there is no more important religious site in Berlin than the imposing Berliner Dom.
Situated on the eastern edge of Berlin’s Museumsinsel, this striking landmark once provided the spiritual element of the triumvirate of Prussian presence here. The royal trinity offered by the Stadtschloss (representing the might and righteousness of the Hohenzollern royal family), the Altes Museum (worldly affluence and culture), and the Berliner Dom (a projection of heavenly authority underpinning the imperial power). Add to this the distant Zeughaus, once the Royal armoury, to the west across the river on Unter den Linden – and one can learn a lot about the values at the core of the Prussian heart and empire by digesting this representative panorama.
Consecrated on February 27th 1905, the Berlin Cathedral was designed by Catholic architects, Julius and Otto Raschdorff (father and son) although built by the order of Kaiser Wilhelm II – in a historicist mixture of Neo-Baroque and high Neo-Renaissance style. It is the largest protestant church in Germany, at 98m tall, and perhaps the most gaudy, overly decorated protestant church in the world. The dome alone is seventy metres high.
When the Berliner Dom was consecrated, it was intended not only as direct competition to St Paul’s in London (which stands 5 metres smaller than the Berlin equivalent) but also a dedication towards its greater (and taller by 20 metres) sister church in Rome, St Peter’s.
The Hohenzollern crypt
Like St Peter’s, it serves not only as a holy consecrated site of worship but resting place for members of the Hohenzollern dynasty, including the first Prussian king, Frederick I, and his second and most revered wife, Sophie Charlotte.
One of Berlin’s most enigmatic and intriguing crypts, as part of the Dom’s substructure this site has been used as a royal burial ground all the way back to the 1500s when Hohenzollern Elector Joachim II moved the royal chapter to the former Dominican church south of the palace.
Akin to the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna, where members of the House of Habsburg (including 12 emperors and 18 empresses) are entombed, and the Basilica of Saint-Denis (which contains the remains of the Kings of France – including nearly every king from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th century), the Berliner Dom contains one of the most important dynastic burial sites in Europe. With the church itself serving as an elaborate tombstone atop.
With the church itself serving as an elaborate tombstone atop.
The royal crypt’s marble-lined walls are bordered with numerous tombs and sarcophagi. The tomb of King Frederick III is located in one corner and is adorned with a metal sculpture of the monarch. Several other Prussian Royal Family members are also buried in the vault, including Queen Elisabeth and her sister Augusta.
In addition, there are many fascinating relics and works of art in the crypt. The most impressive of these is a sizable stained glass display that the Prussian Royal Family ordered in 1901 and that features biblical scenes. A number of statues and busts of members of the royal family, as well as different artworks and sculptures, are also located in the crypt.
An absent emperor, the Nazis and the war
Numerous notable people have visited the crypt over the years, including German President Paul von Hindenburg and Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife. Although the man who conceived and financed the construction of the present day church – German Emperor, Wilhelm II – did not find his final resting place in the cellar of the Berlin Dom – unlike the 91 members of the House of Hohenzollern from the late 16th to the early 20th century that can be found permanently located here. Undeniably due to the circumstances surrounding his abdication in 1918 and subsequent flight to the Netherlands, where he would remain in exile until his death in 1941. He is instead buried in a mausoleum upon the grounds of Huis Doorn – his home for the twilight years of his life.
During the Nazi period, swastika flags flew from the cathedral on certain days and the regime often used the cathedral as a stage for its propaganda events. In 1935, the wedding of Hermann Göring to Emmy Göring (née Emma Johanna Henny Sonnemann) took place here, with Adolf Hitler acting as best man.
The structure was – like most things in central Berlin – severely damaged during the Second World War, from a combination of Anglo-American air raids and the Soviet invasion and occupation of the city in 1945. On the 24th May, 1944, a liquid incendiary bomb dropped by a US bomber hit the dome lantern and set it and the entire outer dome on fire. The lantern structure collapsed under its weight, smashing the inner stone dome and falling into the sermon church, where it broke through the church floor and damaged the coffins in the Hohenzollern crypt. The memorial church and its four towers were also damaged by the attack.
The organ, the dome and the view
Due to the state policy of ‘Ruinen schaffen ohne Waffen’ inflicted on the eastern areas of Berlin by the East German authorities – destruction through neglect – it was not until 1985 that the Berliner Dom was restored to some part of its former glory and 1993 when it was eventually reopened to the public.
While the exterior of the building is impressive enough, undeniably one of the church’s star attractions is its huge pipe organ, complete with 7,269 pipes – all of which were melted down for scrap during WWI but have since been replaced – making it the largest late-Romantic organ that has survived in its original condition.
When you enter the Berlin Cathedral, your gaze will inevitably go up. The interior is tall enough to fit the entire Siegessäule (Victory Column) inside with room to spare. In fact, one of the most impressive parts of the church is the balcony surrounding the domed roof – reachable following 270 cathedral steps. From a height of 50m, visitors have a perfect 360 degree panoramic view of Berlin – with the museums on Museumsinsel, the Berlin City Palace, the Red Town Hall, and the Lustgarten all so close they feel within arm’s reach.
Unlike other parishes, the Berliner Dom parish has to generate 97% of its annual budget itself, with only 3% coming from church taxes and grants from the state of Berlin. That equates to around 17,000€ per day for the maintenance of the listed building, musicians, church services, heating, electricity, security, staff and more. Thus expect to pay a reasonable 15€ per person for the opportunity to explore this magnificent structure.
