Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

The Erfurt cathedral is located on a hillside overlooking the Domplatz. The architecture is mainly Gothic and originates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The portals and the exterior façades are rich on saints' statues, there are about 60 statues. We could identify are about three quarters of them. And we found nothing about dates and sculptors.

Apostelportal / Apostles Portal

Tympan with Calvary scene. Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem's early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus occurred. In religius sculpture, a calvary is a type of monumental public crucifix with two or more adjoining statues (Wikipedia).

Mary with Child

Thomas - Philip - Matthew - Bartholomew - Andrew - Peter

Paul - John - James the Greater - James the Lesser - Simon the Zealot - Judas Thaddaeus
The Twelve Apostles were the primary disciples of Jesus. During the life and ministry of Jesus they were his closest followers and became the primary teachers of the gospel message of Jesus. Their names are Peter, Andrew, James the Great, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the Lesser, Judas Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot (Wikipedia).

Jungfrauenportal / Virgin portal

Fürbitte / Intercession (Deesis group) Christ sitting on this throne, with St. Mary and St. John praying for the souls), a deesis

Erzengel Michael / Archangel Michael the Archangel, the field commander of the Army of God. He is often depicted slaying Satan represented as a dragon, and with a shield with text quis ut deus (Who is like God?, a literal translation of the name Michael). (Wikipedia).

On the sides of the portal are statues of the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

On the buttresses of the Choir

King with orb and church model	Bishop with a snake climbing in his staff	St. Paulus / St. Paul the Apostle, (c. 5 - c. 67 ), persecuted the early followers of Jesus before switching sides and seeking to join them. He was instrumental in creating the Christian Church. He is the protector of tent-makers, theologians and the ecclesiastical press and is depicted with a sword. (Wikipedia).	St. Petrus / St. Peter (possibly died AD 67), apostle, first pope; patron saint of locksmiths and confessors. Usually holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in his hand (Wikipedia)	Maria mit Kind / St. Mary with Child
St. Barbara (with a tower) known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr (Wikipedia).	St. Catherine (with a wheel) (early 4th century), Virgin princess, martyr; she was condemned to death on the spiked breaking wheel, but, at her touch, it shattered (Wikipedia).	St. Cäcilia / St. Cecilia (with an organ) patron saint of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God (Wikipedia).	St. Mary, crowned, with Jesus as infant standing next to here. This statue is not on a buttres, but stands on a column between two buttresses/	St. Elisabeth von Thüringen / Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia (holding a bowl with roses) (Bratislava 1207 - Marburg 1231), princess of the Kingdom of Hungary, Landgravine of Thuringia; built a hospital where she herself served the sick; symbol of Christian charity (Wikipedia).
St. Maria Magdalena / St. Mary Magdalene (with long hair, holding a bowl of myrrh) Mary of Magdala is described, in the New Testament, as one of the most important women associated with Jesus during his ministry (Wikipedia).	Crowned female saint with a church model	St. Joseph with Jesus the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ (in distinction to God, his "heavenly father") (Wikipedia).	Bishop with book, making a blessing gesture	Young saint with palm branch and book with a cone-shaped object

To the left of the stairs leading to the portals

Male saint with open book.

Bishop with mitre and staff and a coin in his left hand.

Male saint holding a book against his chest

"S. Johannes" because of the book and the eagle on the console obviously St. John the Evangelist, although he usually is depicted without beard. It is the only statue on this church with a name!

St. Petrus / St. Peter with key and book.

Between the both portals

St. Adolar von Erfurt / St. Adolar of Erfurt(Bishop with book and staff), missionary accompanying St. Bonifatius to Friesland.

St. Bonifatius / St. Boniface (Bishop with book and staff) (Wessex c. 672 - Dokkum 754), the Apostle of the Germans, missionary in the Frankish Empire; patron saint of Germany and the first archbishop of Mainz. He was martyred in Frisia in 754.

Female saint with two children in a niche closes with a grille.

St. Eoban von Erfurt / St. Eoban of Erfurt(Bishop with book and staff), missionary accompanying St. Bonifatius to Friesland.

Nave

St. Gregory the Great (pope with tiara, staff and book, and at his feet a dove), pope 590-604 (Wikipedia).

probably St. Servatius von Tongern / St. Servatius of Tongres, Bishop with at his foot an eagle

Cardinal with document and staff with double cross, at his feet a small lion

St. Ambrosius von Mailand / St. Ambrose of Milan (Bishop with open book, at his foot a beehive) (c. 340-397), bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century (Wikipedia).

West portal

King Solomon, king of Israel and the son of David (Wikipedia).

Moses (Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה‎), Biblical figure, religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed (Wikipedia).

King David (c. 1040-970 BCE), second king of the United Kingdom of Israel, and an ancestor of Jesus (Wikipedia)

Jesaja / Isaiah, prophet (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Wikipedia, Erfurter Dom.
• Portale, Säulen und Kapitele, Gotische Portale: Die Triangelportale am Dom zu Erfurt.
• Frank Matthias Kammel, Kunst in Erfurt 1300-1360: Studien zu Skulptur und Tafelmalerei (2000).

Tags

Locatie (N 50°58'32" - E 11°1'23") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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