I chose to take a closer look at the Aachen and Speyer Cathedrals. I did this because I wanted to compare two similar UNESCO locations and take a closer look at their differences. I chose to compare two Cathedrals because I, myself, am a Roman Catholic and found that I would have some more previous knowledge about these places already. Also, I went to a school that was called Cathedral. So the attraction to searching more about Cathedral’s, themselves, is more intriguing.
The Aachen Cathedral is a much more interesting building to me because of its history in German culture. Clip: “Charlemagne was buried here, and throughout the Middle Ages until 1531 the Germanic emperors continued to be crowned here.” End clip. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/3/, August 31, 2011. Charlemagne was one of the greatest Germanic emperors, even being dubbed by the German people as ‘Karl der Grosse’ meaning Karl the Great. The Aachen Cathedral is a much more attractive building than the Speyer Cathedral. The Aachen Cathedral was built in a Gothic style which includes high vaulting ceilings, many statues and grand stained glass windows. Because of this, I found the Aachen Cathedral to be more interesting than the Speyer Cathedral.
The Speyer Cathedral was also a burial place for German emperors but none were as influential to the Germanic tribes as Charlemagne. The Speyer Cathedral was built in a Romanesque style of architecture which emphasizes grand entrances and rounded arches. Clip: “Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodeled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.” End clip. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/168/ , August 31, 2011.
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