St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau
| St. Stephen's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Stephansdom | |
St. Stephen's Cathedral | |
St. Stephen's Cathedral St. Stephen's Cathedral | |
| 48°34′27″N 13°27′55″E / 48.5742°N 13.4653°E | |
| Location | Passau |
| Country | Germany |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1668 |
| Architecture | |
Functional status | Cathedral |
| Architect | Carlo Lurago |
Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Baroque |
| Completed | 1693 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 100 m (328 ft 1 in) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Passau |
St. Stephen's Cathedral (German: Dom St. Stephan) is a baroque church from 1688 in Passau, Germany, dedicated to Saint Stephen.[1] It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Passau and the main church of his diocese.
History
Since 730, there have been many churches built on the site of the current cathedral. The current church, a baroque building around 100 metres (328 ft) long, was built from 1668 to 1693 after a fire in 1662 destroyed its predecessor, of which only the late gothic eastern side remains.[2] The cathedral's overall plan was made by Carlo Lurago, its interior decoration by Giovanni Battista Carlone, and its frescos by Carpoforo Tencalla.[3]
Bells
The cathedral has eight large bells in the bell rooms in the north and south towers. The largest bell or bourdon is named,"Pummerin" at 7,550 kg (16,640 lb) cast in 1952. It alongside "Sturmerin" weighing 5,300 kg (11,700 lb) cast in 1733 hang in the south tower. The other six bells hang in the north tower. They include: the second bourdon "Misericordia" weighing 6,000 kg (13,000 lb), the Angelus bell, "Predigtglocke", "Elfuhrglocken", the Choir bell, and "Dignitar". A ninth bell, the "Zeichenglocke" hangs near the sacristy door. 3 of the 8 bells serve as clock bells; the Elfuhrglocken chimes every quarter hour while Predigtglocke and Stürmerin in succession chime each the number of a full hour. In Germany, the bells are always numbered from largest to smallest, Bell 1 is always the tenor or bourdon.
| Bell | Name
(German) |
Name
(English) |
Year of casting | Founder, place of casting | Mass | Tower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pummerin (Bourdon Bell) | 1952 | Rudolf Perner Bell Foundry, Passau | 7,850 kg (17,310 lb) | South | |
| 2 | Misericordia (2nd Bourdon) | 1999 | 5,950 kg (13,120 lb) | North | ||
| 3 | Stürmerin | Striker | 1733 | Nikolaus Drackh, Passau | 5,600 kg (12,300 lb) | South |
| 4 | Dignitär | Dignified | 1897 | Lorenz Bell Foundry, Passau | 3,375 kg (7,441 lb) | North |
| 5 | Predigtglocke | Preacher Bell | 1896 | 2,400 kg (5,300 lb) | ||
| 6 | Angelusglocke | Angelus bell | 1897 | 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) | ||
| 7 | Elfuhrglocke | Eleven o'clock bell | 1896 | 800 kg (1,800 lb) | ||
| 8 | Chorglocke | Choir bell | 1951 | Rudolf Perner Bell Foundry, Passau | 552 kg (1,217 lb) | |
Pipe organ
Once the largest organ in the world, Passau Cathedral's pipe organ has been surpassed by more recent instruments, including Wanamaker's organ in the U.S. It remains the largest church organ outside of the U.S.
The organ currently has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, all of which can be played with the five-manual general console in the gallery. Portions of the organ have their own mechanical-action or electric-action consoles, for a total of six consoles.
The organs at this cathedral have continually been added to over the years. The "organ" is really several separate organs of different tonal styles, all accessible from one or more consoles. The organs of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, California, U.S. have also grown over the years and play from twin consoles; together, the two organs have 346 ranks and over 20,000 pipes. By contrast, the Cadet Chapel Organ of the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York is a single organ. It has also been added to continuously over the years and is larger still with more than 23,500 pipes. It plays from a single console.
In 2017, Arnold Schwarzenegger was allowed to play the cathedral's pipe organ, a "childhood dream" according to the actor.[4]
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Chancel
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Main west Organ in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau
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Dome paintings
Recordings (selection)
- Die Passauer Domorgel : The most beautiful organ in the world Passau Cathedral Helga Schauerte-Maubouet, (Syrius, 141310) 1995.
See also
References
- ^ Shrock, Dennis (2017-06-01). Choral Monuments: Studies of Eleven Choral Masterworks. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-046904-7.
- ^ Oulíková, Petra (2006). The Klementinum: A Guide. National Library of the Czech Republic. ISBN 978-80-7050-492-5.
- ^ Fulco, Daniel (2016-04-01). Exuberant Apotheoses: Italian Frescoes in the Holy Roman Empire: Visual Culture and Princely Power in the Age of Enlightenment. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-30805-3.
- ^ Clamann, Aaron (2017-09-21). "Arnold Schwarzenegger spielt Orgel in Dom St. Stephan in Passau". www.morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-01-15.
External links
- (in English) Passau Cathedral Organ
- (in German) St. Stephen's Cathedral
- (in German) Eisenbarth organ at St. Stephen's Cathedral
- (in French and English) Cathédrale Saint-Étienne / St. Stephen's Cathedral / St. Stephanus Dom