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 We warmly welcome you to our Minster, one of the oldest
churches in Germany.
Since
the 13th century, when the people of Bonn included the Minster in their
city ’s coat of arms, it has been the emblem of the City of Bonn.
Although the face of the city has largely changed, it is still dominated
by the Collegiate Church of St. Cassius and St. Florentius.
The basilica of Bonn as we
know it today was built on the site of the graves of the two martyrs Cassius
and Florentius, the city’s patrons. The whole of its development
is recorded, from its beginnings as a small place of worship in the late
Roman period to its becoming the first large church complex in the Rhineland,
and later a significant example of medieval Rhenish church architecture.
Most of today ’s building
dates back to the period of active building work from the 11th to the
13th centuries. Its blend of Romanesque and gothic elements is unusually
harmonious. The furnishings, too, most of which date back to the Baroque
period, to the end of the last century and to our own century, fit in
well, giving the Basilica its own special atmosphere which envelops the
visitor and makes him or her feel secure.
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