While the cathedral was virtually the only building to survive the massacres of the Thirty Years’ War, it nevertheless suffered destruction in World War II. But it was soon rebuilt and completed in 1955.
The place in front of the cathedral (sometimes called “new marketplace”, Neuer Markt) was occupied by an imperial palace (Kaiserpfalz), which was destroyed in the fire of 1207. The stones of the ruin served for building the cathedral. The presumptive remains of the palace were excavated in the 1960s.
Other sights in Magdeburg
Monastery “Unser Lieben Frauen”
Monastery “Unser Lieben Frauen” (literally “Our Beloved Lady”), 11th century, containing the church of St. Mary.
Town hall (1698); a town hall has stood on the marketplace since the 13th century, but it was destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War; the new town hall was built in a Renaissance style influenced by Dutch architecture.
Landtag; the seat of the government of Saxony-Anhalt is a Baroque palace built in 1724.
Monuments: the city has monuments depicting emperor Otto I (old marketplace, 1240) and Otto von Guericke (1907).
Related Travel Information
Halle: Germany
Halle (also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish from Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia) is the largest town in the German Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It lies in the southern part of the state, on the river Saale.
- Sights in Halle
- Giebichenstein Castle, first mentioned in 961, west of the city centre on a hill above the Saale river.
- Moritzburg, a newer castle, built in 1503; residence of the bishops of Magdeburg; destroyed in the Thirty Years' War, then a ruin for centuries, rebuilt in 1904; today an Art Gallery.
- Cathedral, a steepleless building, originally a church
Siegen: Germany
Siegen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Siegen-Wittgenstein. As of December 31, 2003 it has a population of 106,143.
Twinned cities:
Berlin-Spandau, Germany, since 1952
Rijnsburg, the Netherlands, since 1963
Leeds, since 1966
Ypres, Belgium, since 1967
Zakopane, Poland, since 1989
Plauen, Saxony, Germany, since 1990
Recklinghausen: Germany
Recklinghausen is a city in the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 123.562 inhabitants as of June 30, 2003 it is the capital of the district Recklinghausen.
Heilbronn: Germany
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart. This district-free city is completely surrounded by the district Heilbronn. It is located on the river Neckar . As of 2004, it has ~120,900 inhabitants.
Heilbronn was first mentioned as Helibrunna in 741. In 1281, it was declared city by Rudolph I.
Mülheim an der Ruhr: Germany
Mülheim an der Ruhr is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between Duisburg and Essen, 20 km to the north-east of Düsseldorf. Geographical location 51°26? N 6°53? E.
Its population is 170.745 (status 12/31/2003). The city covers about 91.26 km² and is between 26.0 and 152.7 m above sea level.
