The Schwerin Cathedral

It is the only true cathedral in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and literally towers above the rest: on the one hand, Schwerin Cathedral is one of the greatest works of Brick Gothic, and on the other, its tower beats that of Rostock's St. Peter's Church by half a meter.

The tower, built by master builder Georg Daniel, is exactly 117.5 meters high. And the number after the decimal point is significant in comparison to the size of Rostock. That's why people from Schwerin joke that it's probably Schwerin's most important 50 centimeters. But even more numbers are interesting: when you climb the tower, you have to climb 220 steps, “One, two, three, four… two hundred eighteen, two hundred nineteen, two hundred twenty!” but the effort is worth it.
From the visitor platform, you float above the things and can enjoy the breathtaking view of the whole of Schwerin and its lake landscape.
Also, take a look at the history of Schwerin Cathedral. It is impressive. The tower did not exist from the beginning: Henry the Lion donated the original Romanesque predecessor of today's cathedral. It was much smaller than today's church - and had no tower. Reconstructions and enlargements followed, because from 1222 the church was considered one of the most important places of pilgrimage in northern Germany.

A drop of Christ's blood made Schwerin Cathedral a popular place of pilgrimage

Count Heinrich of Schwerin had provided the reason for this. He had returned from a crusade, with a jasper in his luggage. It was not just the gemstone that was important, but its contents. A rumour said “Look, there’s  a drop of Christ's blood inside!”. From then on, the stream of pilgrims never stopped. This brought in donations. In addition, the bishop was very eager to build - after all, he was competing with building projects in Rostock, Greifswald, Stralsund and Wismar. This created the basis for a new cathedral. Construction began in 1270. The new choir, side aisles, transept and nave were remodelled in the following 146 years. But there was still no tower. This was not to decorate the church until around 600 years later.
When you explore the cathedral, you will discover five bells on your way up the tower. One of them dates back to 1363 and is thus the oldest church bell in the city. And you can also admire Schwerin's largest and heaviest bell in the cathedral. It was only added in 1991, when the bell ringing was completed again. Three of the five bells had been melted down during the Second World War. Also worth seeing are the Gothic crucifix altar, the bronze baptismal font from 1325 and the Triumphal Cross from 1420. A real listening experience is the magnificent Ladegast organ. 5,100 tin pipes provide a deep, rich sound that delights music lovers from all over the world every year - perhaps you too.
By the way, there is a mysterious legend surrounding one of the cathedral bells: Two fishermen are said to have once been out on Lake Schwerin when they discovered two strangely dressed boys on the shore. “Hey, you! What are you doing there?!” The two strangers asked to be taken along. But when the fishermen finally rowed to the shore, they had disappeared. Instead, there were suddenly two boxes - one of them filled with gold. The two fishermen made half and half of it and opened the second box. Inside was the green bell that the fishermen gave to the cathedral and which still enchants with its melodious sound today.

About the Style
The three-nave basilica presents itself in the style of the High Gothic. The triumphal cross that dominates today comes from St. Marien in Wismar. With the important preserved burial chapel from the 16th century and the newly installed burial chamber of the Grand Dukes in 1842, as well as the renovation work in Neo-Gothic style carried out between 1882 and 1886, the cathedral once again becomes a symbol of the unity of church and state. With its Neo-Gothic furnishings, the state of rule and its function as the burial place of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg Schwerin, the cathedral is an essential part of the residential ensemble.