St. Blasien Cathedral was built after its predecessor, a two-towered Baroque church, burnt down in 1768. The then ruling prince abbot of St. Blasien, Martin II. Gerbert, the reigning abbot of St. Blasien at the time, succeeded in realising his idea of a domed church despite much opposition.
History
In 1770, Gerbert had the remains of 14 Habsburgs transferred from Switzerland to St. Blasien, making the new domed church the Habsburg burial church. The new church was consecrated in 1783. The church suffered heavy blows in the following years. After the abolition of the monastery, known as secularisation, the church was desecrated. All the furnishings, including the organ by the great organ builder Andreas Silbermann, were torn out and destroyed. The dead Habsburgs were also taken from the crypt and transferred to Austria. In 1874, the church was destroyed by fire. Rebuilt with simple means, it was consecrated a second time in 1913. In a large-scale renovation in the years 1981-1983, the church was restored, with considerable compromises, to how Prince Abbot Martin Gerbert once imagined it.
The cathedral today
The cathedral is the parish church of the Catholic parish of St Blasius. Guided tours of St. Blaise's Cathedral take place regularly, dates can be found in the tourist information programme. Every summer, the 'International Cathedral Concerts' take place with performers from all over the world - a cultural experience of the highest calibre.
The cathedral is barrier-free, with a suitable entrance on the left-hand side.
Guided tours of the cathedral
Information and dates can be found under Events. Registration required on 07652/1206-0. Meeting point for the cathedral tours is at the Tourist Information Centre.