Severikirche

A Gothic hall church located next door to Erfurt Cathedral, the Severikirche (Church of St. Severus) in Erfurt is best known for its huge baptismal font and monument to St. Severus.

In 836, the relics of St. Severus of Ravenna were brought by the Archbishop of Mainz to Germany, first to Mainz and later to Erfurt. The relics were housed in a monastery that stood on the site of the present Severikirche.

The Severikirche has Romanesque origins, having been built (or more likely, rebuilt) in 1148 as a collegiate church. It was a three-aisled basilica with two transepts and two choirs.

Construction on the present building began in the 1270s in the early Gothic style. It was consecrated in 1308, by which time the east end would have been mostly completed. The nave was finished in 1327 and the vaults were added around 1370-80. The famous sarcophagus to hold the relics of St. Severus was installed around 1365.

A major fire in June 1472 caused damage to the church and destroyed most of the furnishings. The vault was replaced in 1472-73 and the east towers were rebuilt and given their present spires in 1495.

Severikirche's distinctive triple-towered east end makes an interesting contrast with its cathedral neighbor when viewed from the Domplatz. The two churches are joined by a 70-step monument staircase.

Inside, St. Severus is a five-aisled hall church with a lofty atmosphere despite its relatively small size.

The most important furnishing in Severikirche is the monument tomb of St. Severus, carved out of a soft pink sandstone around 1365 by an artist known only as "the Master of St. Severus." It can be seen at the back of the nave. The same master made the statue of the saint over the entrance portal.

Also notable is the font (1467) with a spectacular 15-meter-high canopy that almost reaches the ceiling and an alabaster relief of St. Michael (also 1467) on the south wall. The Gothic altars are also worth a look.