Places of interest in Magdeburg

The Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine

The Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine
_{Photo: MMKT GmbH • A.LAnder}

The Magdeburg Cathedral was the first Gothic cathedral built in Germany and is also one of the biggest buildings of its kind in Germany.

Its origins go back to 937, when Otto I founded a monastery in honour of Saint Maurice and furnished it with ancient treasures. When he died in 973 he was buried in a stone sarcophagus in the cathedral. In 1207 this Ottonian cathedral was nearly destroyed in a fire, but was restored two years later. The cathedral was not consecrated until 1362, and the western towers were not completed until 1520. During the Reformation the cathedral chapter long resisted Luther’s new doctrines and the first Protestant church service in the cathedral was not held until 1561.

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The Elbauenpark and the Millennium Tower

Millennium Tower and panorama train
_{Photo: MMKT GmbH}

As the youngest park in the city, the Elbauenpark conquered the hearts of Magdeburg residents and their guests, and has been added to a long list of the city’s historic parks and gardens.

Numerous attractions make the park a unique cultural landscape. The Millennium Tower, the highest wooden tower in the world, is home to a five-storey history exhibition covering 6 000 years of science and technology.

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THE GREEN CITADEL OF MAGDEBURG

Easily found by visitors, the Green Citadel of Magdeburg is located in the centre of the city, among an ensemble of Baroque facades and modern design. In one of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s last and largest architectural projects golden globes shine atop towers, ‘tree tenants’ look out of ‘dancing windows’, fragrant fields of flowers grow on the roofs, and ‘melodies for the feet’ buoyantly carry visitors through the courtyards.

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"Unser Lieben Frauen" - Monastery Art Museum

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Romanesque Road’, the nearly 1000-year-old Romanesque building complex continues to impress visitors today. Construction of the ensemble, the core of which has survived until the present, began in 1063-1064 as a replacement for the original buildings constructed in 1017-1018.

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Magdeburg Museum of Cultural History

Magdeburg’s Museum of Cultural History celebrated its 100th birthday in 2006. Despite severe damage and significant losses in its inventory during World War II, the museum has continued to fascinate visitors, and has become even more attractive since its restoration.

The museum presents itself mainly as a memorial to Otto the Great, and is internationally known due to its outstanding special exhibitions. After the successful Council of Europe exhibition in 2001 and the state exhibition in 2006, the 2012 state exhibition will undoubtedly be another highlight in the series of large medieval exhibitions.

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