Paderborn Cathedral
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The Paderborn Cathedral St. Liborius is the Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paderborn. It is located in the city centre of Paderborn.
[edit] Patron Saint
One Patron of the Cathedral and the city is the holy Liborius of Le Mans. His Relics have been brought from France to Paderborn in an Translatio during the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious in the year 836. The Relics from Le Mans arrived in Paderborn under high attendance of the people. To remember this event the Libori fair is being celebrated in Paderborn every year.
The main patron of the Cathedral is St. Mary and a further patron is St. Kilian.
[edit] Architecture and History
The Cathedral is mainly from the 13th century. It is built as a Hall Church. The western tower from the 12th century is 93 m tall. The relics of the Saint Liborius are kept in the crypt, which is with a length of 32 m one of Germany's largest crypts.
External Dimensions
- Length: 104 m
- Width: 52 m
- Height: 28 m
- Height of the Tower: 93 m
Worth seeing:
- Paradiesportal / Paradise Portal (before 1240)
- Pietà (around 1380)
- Gothic high altar (late 15th century)
- Double Madonna (around 1480)
- Dreihasenfenster / Window of Three Hares (early 16th century)
- The Tomb of Prince-Bishop Dietrich IV. von Fürstenberg († 1618)
- Pulpit in Régence style (1736)
[edit] Dreihasenfenster
One of Paderborn's most recognisable motifs is the Dreihasenfenster (Window of Three Hares). It depicts three hares in motion, laid out in a triangle. Each hare is shown as having two ears, although only three ears are visible in total. The original 16th century motif can be found in the cloister's inner courtyard, and has been duplicated on numerous buildings and a number of shops throughout the city centre.