Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Meinwerk

After, during the Saxon Wars, Charlemagne´s soldiers had burnt down a Saxon settlement, a stronghold was erected next to the sources of the river Pader. At that time existed already a small church next to the palace, dedicated to "Salvator Mundi". The Saxons returned and of course a couple of times and burnt down, what was built, but finally a new church was erected, that was visited by Pope Leo III, when he met Charlemagne here in 799. This was the start of the diocese. This church got enlarged under the first bishops, especially, when under Louis the Pious, the relics of St. Liborius were transfered to Paderborn from Le Mans. The Carolingian cathedral burnt completely down in 1000. Bishop Rethar (+1009) and Bishop Meinwerk (+1036) managed the erection of the new cathedral, that (probably not completed) got consecrated in 1015. This cathedral burnt down with most of the town in 1058. The cathedral Bischof Imad (+1076) built was much larger and had probably a similar volume as the Paderborner Dom of today. It was consecrated in 1068. Another fire destroyed in 1033 roofs and ceilings. When the cathedral was rebuilt, it got the first vaulting. Most of the Paderborner Dom, seen today, dates to the 13th century. The "Paradies Portal" (Paradise Portal), a narthex, was built end of the 12th century. It combines late Romanesque and early Gothic statuary.

The Busdorf-Church overlooks the neighbouring houses, but there is not much left from that "Holy Sepulchre", that is was here around 1150. Bishop Meinwerk planned to built five churches in Paderborn. These churches should form a cross (seen from the sky), the cathedral in the crossing if the axes. Four of these churches still exist.

In 1033 Bishop Meinwerk ordered Abbot Wino von Helmarshausen to travel to Jerusalem to take the measurements of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Wino returned with the blueprint from his long journey to Paderborn - and Meinwerk started to build the Busdorf-Church (named after a former village). The church was octogonal with added rectangular apses. Only one original apse, flanked by the steeples, has survived. The bigger part of the Busdorf-Church of today was erected after a fire within the 14th centrury. Maybe the builders of the Drüggelte-chappel, that is about 50kms west, used the blueprint from Jerusalem..

There is still a "complete" cloister at the Busdorf-Church, which was an abbey upto 1803/06. Actually today it is a shortcut for pedestrians to reach the city.

The crypt of the Abdinghof church is probably the most authentic part of medieval architecture here. Maybe the "greacos operarios", mentioned before, worked here. This is the place, where sarcophag of Bishop Meinwork stood from 1036 until it was moved "upstairs" into the central nave. From there it was moved again, after the church got protestant mid 19th century. Now the remains rest in the crypt of the cathedral.

After Bishop Meinwerk had finished the work on the destroyed cathedral, he (re)founded and (re)built the Abdinghof-Abbey (St. Peter and St. Paul) in 1014, that was like the cathedral burnt down in the year 1000. The abbey later was known for it´s library and it´s scriptorium. 1093 the abbey bought the Externsteine, that´s when the sulptures on the stones were carved. It burnt down a couple of times over the centuries, got raided during the Thirty-Years War. 1803 the last monks had to leave the abbey. 1815 the prussian armee moved into the buildings. Mid 1860 this is a ruin, but gets rebuilt and in 1871 this is the first protestant parish church in Paderborn. Bombed and burned down in March 1945 the abbey was lost, but the church got reconstructed during the 1950s. The westwork, we see today is a "reconstruction" of the 19th century. Archeologists proved, that the church from around 1050 had an apse in the west and probably smaller spires.

An early evening inside the Barholomew Chapel, built by the "greacos operarios" for Bishop Meinwerk.

From the back it looks pretty common again. The complex of buildings next to the chapel is part of the "reconstructed" imperial palace, used by the kings and emperors, when they visited Paderborn, what they did pretty frequently. They used the chapel as a kind of royal dressing room. Here they stored the insignia and dressed up, before entering the cathedral.

What looks like one of the many small romanesque chapels from outside is the first hallchurch (three naves!) north of the Alps. The kind of vaults used here are totally new, forming domes. The pillars are very elegant - and there is light! Lots of light. Obviously the craftsmen from Byzanz did a little masterpiece, a kind of sample item to impress their employer. The "Vita Meinwerci", written 1165, states about the building, that it was "per graecos operarios construxit" - built by greek workers. Probably greek here means from the "Eastern Roman Empire".

Just about 10 meters north of the cathedral, built 1017...This chapel has a long story. 1000 the cathedral burnt down. One of the many reasons for Heinrich II to appoint Meinwerk bishop was probably, that Meinwerk originated from a wealthy family. He had the funds to start the rebuilding - and he did that immidatly with a new layout. He was bishop and close political supporter of Heinrich II. Three times he accompanied Heinrich II to Italy. In 1014 he even went with him to southern Italy, where he met a couple of very talented craftsmen. He hired them right away, and as soon, as they had reached Paderborn, they started to built this chapel. The "Vita Meinwerci", written 1165, states about the building "per graecos operarios construxit". They were probably from Byzanz, as they showed a total new style. The outside my look pretty common, but see the inside....