Basel - Muenster

The first proven (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825.

The foundations of this structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. The church had a nave, two aisles - and parts of this church, consecrated 1019, can still be found.

The Muenster seen today is the third large structure here, erected 1180 -1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) during the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe in 1356. Seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1.
The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler (aka Johannes von Gmuend), who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart.

Once (of course) a Catholic cathedral this is now a reformed Protestant church. It is loaded with great architectural, artistic details - and offers thrilling and touching stories.

I found the scaffolding so nice, that I just started a set "Great Scaffoldings"...