Trier, Liebfrauenbasilika

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his reign, Emperor Constantine begins around 326 with the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Nativity Church in Bethlehem and the Cathedral of Trier. Trier Cathedral is thus the oldest cathedral northern the Alps.

Constantine the Great’s mother, St. Helena is seen as co-founder of the late antique twin church dwelling. She gifted her house to the Bishop Agritius of Trier (c. 329) which he rebuilt into a bishop’s church.

According to the legend, St. Helena also brought the Holy robe to Trier. The relic has been exhibited in a shrine since a cathedral renovation in 1974 and the last major pilgrimage took place in 1996. The visible west facade with Romanesque towers was built in the 11th century. In the late 17th century, the cathedral’s interior was redecorated baroque. The Liebfrauen Basilica was rebuilt in 1235 under Archbishop Theodoric von Wied (1212-1242), after the ancient predecessor building had become dilapidated. This construction was completed in around 1260. The cloister connected to the Basilica and cathedral aslso dates from this time.

Next to the Elisabeth Church in Marburg, the Liebfrauenkirche of Trier is the most important Gothic building in Germany. The porchway, which connects the cathedral with the Liebfrauen Basilica, houses an important Romanesque tympanum. In 1986, the cathedral was added together with the Liebfrauenkirche in the list of UNESCO World Heritage. After more than three years of extensive restoration between July 2008 and September 2011, the Liebfrauenbasilika reopened on 4 September 2011.

The so far only organ of the basilica is a choir organ by the company Klais / Bonn from the year 1951. In October 2010 we received the order to fundamentally overhaul this choir organ. In addition to the necessary renewal of the lever arm magnets and membranes, the organ also received a new console. This mobile console can be connected to the organ at various places in the church via the church internal network.