Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Labyrinth

Founded by Charlemagne in 805 as Magadoburg, the town was fortified in 919 by King Henry the Fowler against the Magyars and Slavs. In 929 King Otto I granted the city to his English-born wife Edith as dower. At her death, Queen Edith was buried in the crypt of the Benedictine abbey of Saint Maurice, later rebuilt as the cathedral. In 937, Magdeburg was the seat of a royal assembly. Otto I was buried as well in the cathedral. In 1035 Magdeburg received a patent giving the city the right to hold trade exhibitions and conventions. This was the basis of town law to become known as the Magdeburg rights. These laws were adopted and modified throughout Central and Eastern Europe. In the 13th century, Magdeburg became a member of the Hanseatic League. With more than 20,000 inhabitants Magdeburg was one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) Magdeburg was raided and probably 20.000 inhabitants lost their lives. A small group of 4000 people survived the "Sack of Magdeburg" by seeking refuge in the cathedral. Begging on hid knees before the conqueror the head priest saved them. - The construction of the "Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice" started in 1209. Two years ago, the church that had been in this place since 932, burnt down with most of the town. This church is influenced by the then-new gothic style, developed in France. Otto I the Great and his wife Edith of England have their graves here. The construction stopped after 1274. In 1325, Archbishop Burchard III. was killed by the people of Magdeburg because of extreme taxes. Folklore says that especially the beer tax increase caused much anger. Afterward, Magdeburg was under a ban, and only after the donation of five atonement altars did the construction of the cathedral continue. In 1360 the construction stopped again for many decades. Only in 1477 did the construction started again. The towers were constructed by master builder Bastian Binder, the only master builder of the cathedral known by name. The construction of the cathedral was completed in 1520. Today it is the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany.

There have been five cathedrals on this site. One was destroyed by Visigothic troops mid of the 8th century. The successive cathedral was burnt down by Vikings ("Danes") in 858. The carolingian structure that was erected within the next decades was burnt down in 962 by troops led by Richard I of Normandy (aka "Richard the Fearless", "Richard Sans-Peur"). The rebuilding started again, but whatever was completed got destroyed by a fire, caused accidently, in 1020. The erection of a Romanesque cathedral started and most of the still existing crypt dates back to that building. In 1134, another fire damaged the town and large parts of the cathedral. The towers got repaired and rebuilt and the portal between them got created. Another blaze hit the town in June 1194. The cathedral was burnt down. Construction works started the same year. The western towers and the undamaged western portal ("Portail Royal") got integrated into the new building. The nave was already vaulted in 1220, the transept and the stained windows were completed in 1260. On 24 October 1260, only 66 years after the start of construction, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame was consecrated in the presence of Louis IX of France (aka "Saint Louis", "le Prudhomme"). Since Charles the Bald, Louis the Pious´ son, had given the "Sancta Camisia" to the cathedral in 876. Because of this "Veil of the Virgin" Chartres developed into a very important Marian pilgrimage center in medieval times. Standing in the nave. A large screen blocks the view to the choir. Note the floor. This is the "Labyrinth of Chartres", one of the largest medieval labyrinths with a diameter of about 12 meters. Here are many fascinating details, including a nice animation: www.mymaze.de/chartres_technisch_e.htm