Stippler, Georg
Congratulations on passing the viva voce examination
on 14 August 2012.
Dissertation topic:
"The reconstruction of Würzburg Cathedral after the Second World War".
Contact address at the University of Würzburg:
Department of Church History
First supervisor:
Prof Wolfgang Weiß (Franconian Church History)
Second supervisor:
Prof. Wolfgang Altgeld (Modern History)
apl. Prof. Dieter Feineis (Church History)
Class in the Graduate School: Antiquity, History & Religion
Doctorate in the Graduate School since SS 2008.
Abstract:
Würzburg Cathedral is the fourth largest Romanesque cathedral church in Germany. Over the centuries, the building has undergone frequent structural alterations, but the cathedral's origins have been partially preserved in their original form to this day. The destruction of the Second World War and the collapse of the northern nave wall a year later left Würzburg Cathedral in ruins, and it was not until 1967 that it became the last German cathedral church to be reconsecrated. The central nave of the cathedral was reconstructed in the Romanesque style, while the choir and the two transepts were restored in the Baroque style. The modern style of the 20th century can be found in the design of the chancel, the side altars and numerous details, so that Würzburg Cathedral reflects the art history of its centuries.
The combination of art-historical styles is not only unusual for Germany, but also unique for a diocesan church. The process can only be understood in terms of the liturgy, which underwent a change with the Second Vatican Council, which met in Rome at the same time as the cathedral was being built, and was adapted to the modern age.
More than twenty years of reconstruction also gave rise to the current appearance of the cathedral in the cityscape of Würzburg. Numerous institutions and offices were involved in this process and their personnel changed over the years, which had an impact on the decisions regarding the construction of Würzburg Cathedral. The models for the actual design of the cathedral were the subject of controversial debate. The public also took a lively interest in this debate, far beyond the borders of Würzburg. The current appearance of the cathedral is therefore the result of an evolving process in the course of which many decisions were reconsidered and adapted to the self-described goals. The aim of the project is to clarify how the cathedral got its concrete appearance.
