Mainz – The Millenium Cathedral

Today, many churches are bigger and more important than the cathedral of Mainz. But for a thousand years, it was one of the most important centres of religious and political power in the Holy Roman Empire – and beyond. This importance stemmed from the Archbishops of Mainz: As “Primas Germaniae”, they were the heads of the German bishops, and – for a long time – only second in power to the pope and the emperor. For centuries, they were the prince electors who had the last say in the election of the German kings and emperors. The cathedral of Mainz was built to reflect their exponential role: Modelled on Old Saint Peter’s, the biggest church of occidental Christianity, the cathedral was supposed to make Mainz a second Rome. And indeed, for a thousand years, the cathedral of the archbishops of Mainz has stood in the centre of great historical events, thus becoming a unique mirror of German history.

On the occasion of its millenial anniversary, the documentray looks back at the dramatic history of the cathedral of Mainz and its (arch-)bishops: Beginning with Willigis, who laid the foundation for this masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, continuing with Cardinal Albert of Hohenzollern, whose abuse of granting indulgences and scandalous love life became triggers for Martin Luther’s reformation, and the bourgeois bishops who came into power with Napoleon and who saved the cathedral from destruction. Scientists uncover the secrets of the cathedral, reconstructing its original appearance and its lost treasures, using modern computer animations, and explaining the working and problems of medieval construction techniques.

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ZDF