Tomb of Konrad Kurzbold in north transept of medieval Cathedral of Saint George in Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany. Kurzbold founded an earlier collegiate church on the site of the present cathedral in AD and, when he died in 948, was buried in the church he had founded. This tomb, sculpted to resemble an open coffin and with the figure of Kurzbold depicted as a young man, was made in the 1200s.
Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany: tomb of Konrad Kurzbold in the north transept of the Cathedral of Saint George (Sankt-Georgs-Dom, Georgsdom or Limburger Dom). Konrad Kurzbold (‘short bold’) was a count who became legendary because of his military success and who founded a collegiate church in Limburg c. 910 AD. He died in 948 and was buried in the church he had founded. The tomb constructed for his grave in the 1200s was eventually placed in the north transept of a new church, today’s Limburg Cathedral. Kurzbold’s tomb is sculpted to resemble an open coffin, with the figure of Konrad depicted as a young man and surrounded by acanthus foliage. Limburg’s Late Romanesque / Early Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the late 1100s / early 1200s AD. The cathedral’s predecessor was a castle chapel, first recorded in the early 800s AD. This chapel was demolished and replaced with a basilica which stood for several centuries. Construction of the present cathedral building started around 1190. The new church was dedicated to two saints, George and Nicholas, indicating its dual purpose as a parish church for both Limburg citizens, whose patron saint was Nicholas, and a collegiate church for canons patronised by Saint George. In 1827, a new Roman Catholic bishopric was created with its centre in Limburg and the church was accorded the status of cathedral. Limburg moved up a gear in 1150 when a wooden bridge was constructed across the River Lahn, allowing a long-distance trade route from Cologne to Frankfurt, the Via Publica, to run directly through the settlement. In 1214, Limburg officially became a town. In 1306, the wooden bridge was replaced with a stone bridge, the Alte Lahnbrücke (Old Lahn Bridge), and bridge tolls paid by traveling merchants funded construction of magnificent buildings. Today, Limburg is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Germany.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Cathedral, Limburg-an-der-Lahn, Hesse, Germany
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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