Saturday, June 14, 2014

New: Hamburg Cathedral

After a long absence, I've decided to present my latest model that has its setting in Germany. Now that Google has effectlibly baanned new models from the Google Earth 3D layer, I've been spending my time in reconstructions. This one was especially difficult, since the structure it attempts to resemble was demolished long before any photos of it could be taken.



Hamburg Cathedral was originally built as a wooden chapel in the 9th century, soon after it became the seat of the joint Diocese of Hamburg and Bremen. In the elenventh century, Archbishop Adalbrant ordered the construction of a new brick cathedral along his castle. Construction of a third, Brick Gothic cathedral began under Gebhard, Prince Archbishop of Bremen. The new building was consecrated by Archbishop Burchard in 1329. By the mid 15th century, two naves and a tower had been added to the three nave church, and an additional hall was built in the early 16th century.




16th century annex to the cathedral (source)

The decadence of the cathedral started soon after the city's conversion to Lutheranism. It became isolated as a Catholic temple in a Protestant city, and even after it was reopened as a Lutheran parish, its situation as an enclave of the former Archbishopric, now Duchy of Bremen, made its administration difficult. After the Imperial Mediatisation of 1803, the Duchy ceded the former cathedral to the City of Hamburg. The Senate decided to demolish the structure soon after.



I'm posting screencaps by now. A KMZ file will be avaliable for download soon.



 Side view


Overview